Incarcerated Transgender People in Belgian Prisons: An Overview of the Belgian Policy and the Lived Experiences of Incarcerated Transgender Persons (PID078)

2pm – 2.30pm EST, 20 February 2025 ‐ 30 mins

Parallel Workshops

Incarcerated transgender persons face unique challenges, highlighted by the complexities of classification and their specific needs within a gendered prison environment. Recognising these needs, the Belgian prison administration adopted guidelines on the management and care of incarcerated transgender persons in 2023. This framework is rooted in the Belgian Prison Act, with the principle of normalisation at its heart. This presentation traces the origins of these guidelines, delving into their foundational principles and addressing the practical challenges encountered during implementation. Furthermore, we situate the Belgian approach within broader European trends, underscoring the volatility of policies surrounding the placement and care of transgender individuals in correctional settings. Finally, we contextualise these guidelines within existing empirical research on the lived experiences of incarcerated transgender persons. These findings reveal the importance of gender as an organising principle in prison regimes, bearing significant implications for incarcerated cisgender men and women as well. The presentation of Belgian policy and findings from empirical research on incarcerated transgender individuals is intended to foster discussions on placement criteria for incarcerated transgender persons, on overcoming implementation issues requiring fundamental changes in prison staff attitudes, and on balancing the need for clear, workable guidelines with the importance of individualised decision-making in the management and care of incarcerated transgender persons.