Transgender convicts ‘can wear stockings, miniskirts and heels in prison dress guidance’ (but see-through tops and stilettos are banned)

• Prisoner Stephen Wood, now known as Karen White, was put into a female prison
• While being held in the female prison White committed two sexual assaults
• An update on trans prisoner management comes after outrage over the case  
• Inmates are allowed to buy make-up and cosmetics from retailers Argos or Avon

The update to the guide on the ‘management’ of trans prisoners comes after the outrage over the placement of double rapist Karen White, previously known as Stephen Wood, in a female prison in Wakefield, West Yorkshire. While being held there White committed two sexual assaults

Male prisoners who identify as women are allowed to wear short skirts and high heels in jail, according to official guidance issued to prison staff.

The dress code for transgender inmates also permits hold-up stockings – but fishnets and suspenders are banned.

The guidance comes from a document issued to staff at HMP Gartree, a Category B men’s prison in Leicestershire, and is in line with advice issued more widely by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ).

Earlier this month the prison watchdog revealed that one in 50 inmates in adult prisons now claim to be transgender.

The rules in the documents obtained by The Mail on Sunday under Freedom of Information laws from HMP Gartree apply to prisoners who are proposing to or are currently changing gender from male to female, without any requirement for them to have undergone any medical treatment.

The code states that dress and skirt hemlines should be no higher than four inches above the knee if they are worn with bare legs, tights or hold-ups. But it allows shorter skirts to be worn with leggings or opaque tights.

However, in an effort to ensure inmates dress with a modicum of restraint, the guidelines warn: ‘In all circumstances, skirts must be of a length to ensure coverage of genitalia and ensure decency whether standing, sitting, bending over or walking upstairs.’

The rules in the documents obtained by The Mail on Sunday under Freedom of Information laws from HMP Gartree (pictured above in a file photo) apply to prisoners who are proposing to or are currently changing gender from male to female, without any requirement for them to have undergone any medical treatment

The rules state that shoes or boots with heels must be a maximum of three inches high and stilettos are not permitted, while guidance on tops or T-shirts stipulates that they must not be sheer, see-through or cropped, adding that they ‘should not be worn in such a way which reveals the midriff’.

The dress code is set out in a document entitled ‘The Care and Management of Transsexual Prisoners’, issued at HMP Gartree in 2016 and endorsed by the MoJ.

‘Allowing male-to-female transsexual prisoners to wear their own clothes is not a privilege,’ it states.

It further advises prison staff on the accessories that transgender inmates who have not undergone surgery or medical treatment to change sex may need. 

The code states that dress and skirt hemlines should be no higher than four inches above the knee if they are worn with bare legs, tights or hold-ups. But it allows shorter skirts to be worn with leggings or opaque tights. A stock photo is used above [File photo] 

The section explains that transgender prisoners, which it refers to as ‘transsexual people’, may use ‘various items’ to assist with their presentation as the opposite gender.

These accessories can range from ‘sophisticated prostheses to padded bras’ and access to them can only be restricted in ‘exceptional circumstances’ or when there are ‘genuine security concerns’, it adds.

The guidelines also rule that both female-born and male-born transgender prisoners must be allowed to wear make-up ‘to present more convincingly in their acquired gender’.

Inmates are allowed to buy make-up and cosmetics from retailers Argos or Avon. 

An ‘order form’ from HMP Gartree shows that prisoners can choose their purchases from a list that includes foundation, mascara, eyeshadow, lipstick and lip gloss – with prices ranging from £2 to £9 per item.

An MoJ spokesman said the dress code advice given at HMP Gartree was in line with wider guidance issued by his department on the treatment of transgender prisoners. 

He stressed that all inmates are allowed to wear their own clothes, adding: ‘Transgender prisoners are subject to the same rules as any other prisoner with regards to their clothing.’

Outrage prompts risk rethink

Prison staff have been warned to consider ‘risks’ from male-born prisoners in women’s jails.

The update to the guide on the ‘management’ of trans prisoners comes after the outrage over the placement of double rapist Karen White, previously known as Stephen Wood, in a female prison in Wakefield, West Yorkshire. 

While being held there White committed two sexual assaults.

Feminist campaigner Julie Bindel said last night: ‘The Ministry of Justice appears to be acknowledging what many of us have known all along… that it’s unsuitable and dangerous to hold male-bodied transgender people in women’s prisons.’ 

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