All citizens have the unalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, but what happens when a citizen commits a heinous act such as murder? Should the pursuit of their happiness be granted even though they took the life of another? Are we as a society to take their feelings into consideration and grant them the right to live their life as they wish? A major issue within the United States is the healthcare programs for inmates. One of the largest disputes when it comes to medical treatments/surgeries within the penal system is the sexual reassignment of inmates with gender dysphoria. It is reported that as of 2007 there are 750 inmates that are requesting gender reassignment surgeries (Brotheim, 2013). If polled today, some would say that a gender reassignment surgery at the tax payer’s expense is a frivolous waste of money. Some might even become infuriated at the thought of a non-law abiding citizen, one that has been deemed by society as someone who should be removed from the general public, most definitely does not deserve to receive this surgery. The states should not be liable to conduct gender reassignment surgeries for inmates with gender dysphoria, because of cost, the uncertainty that of the curability of this disorder, safety of the incarcerated offender and the moral dilemma of punishment versus privilege. Gender Dysphoria- formally known as Gender Identity Disorder (GID) is “a persistent unease with having the physical characteristics of one's gender, accompanied by a strong identification with the opposite gender and a desire to live as or to become a member of the opposite gender” (Dorland's Medical Dictionary for Health Consumers, 2007). In accordance with the Standards for Treatment of Prisoners,... ... middle of paper ... ...andards_treatmentprisoners.html#23-6.13 Penn, N. (2013, November 11). Should this Inmate Get a State-Financed Sex Change Operation? New Republic, pp. 28-35. Samuels, C. (2013, March 18). Federal Register: The Daily Journal of the United states Goverment. Retrieved from Federal Register: https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2013/03/18/2013-06139/annual-determination-of-average-cost-of-incarceration Texas Juvinile Justice Department. (2013). Retrieved from TJJD&OS Templates: https://www.tjjd.texas.gov/programs/prea.aspx Weisberg, R., & Mills D. (2003, October 1) Violence silence: Why no one really cares about prison rape. Slate Magazine retrieved from: http://www.slate.com/id/2089095 Zimmerly, G. (2013, March 5). Yale Daily News. Retrieved from Yale University Web site: http://yaledailynews.com/blog/2013/03/05/zimmerly-the-real-costs-of-sex-reassignment-surgery/
Daniel Brook, "The Problem of Prison Rape," Legal Affairs, March/April 2004. Reproduced by permission. www.legalaffairs.org.
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While, equality of healthcare provision in America continues to be a leading topic of debate. Healthcare rights for incarcerated persons are largely absent from this national conversation. Healthcare affordability and accessibility to quality treatment, medicine and doctors remains a priority across all ages, races, genders and political parties. Because “the state” is given the power of autonomy from the provision of law under the federal government, it should be the responsibility of “the state” to provide adequate healthcare services and treatment to persons who are incarcerated.
Phillips, J. (2012, September 28). Gender Identity Disorder in Prison: Depending on a Diagnosis That is soon to Disappear? Retrieved October 4, 2013, from PSYCHIATRIC TIMES: http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/gender-disorders/content/article/10168/2105073
Homosexuality has been a part of prison cluture since prison life was first studed. However, it is a topic that few researchers have taken the time to analyze and interpret (Sykes, 1958). Prison studies in the 1980s and 1990s rarely took place as it was not considered a topic worthy of study, rather the foci addressed issues of sexually transmitted infections, sexual assault, and rape (Sit & Ricciardelli, 2013). Homosexuality was considered a form of mental illness by the American Psychological Assocation until 1975 when it was declared an alternative lifestyle (Eigenberg, 1992). Penal institutions around the world ironically habor a subctulure with the greatest concentration of homosexuality but one that is vehemently homophobic (Gear, xxxx)
What is Gender Dysphoria? A clinical definition may be, “The condition of feeling one 's emotional and psychological identity as male or female to be opposite to one 's biological sex.” There is a growing amount of scientific research that suggests gender identity develops at a very early age. So, what are the ethical considerations of gender-reassignment treatments for minors suffering from gender dysphoria? Children can be diagnosed with GD as early as age five. Following, most girls start puberty when they are between the ages of eight and thirteen years old. Then, most boys start puberty when they are between the ages of ten and fifteen years old.
As we all know females and males have always been very different from each other and being incarcerated makes no difference. They both have different ways of adjusting to prison and dealing with their new life. Laura E. Bedard (the first female Deputy Secretary of the Florida Department of Corrections) said that one of her colleagues once summarized the difference between working with male and female inmates as follows: “When you tell a male inmate to tuck his
Mental health professional have tried to correct their ‘‘gender identity disorder’’ with brutal aversion therapies. Tran’s youth who came out often faced crises throughout their family and social systems. Once out, developing a sense of realness about their new gender became extremely important. An urgent need develops ‘‘to match one’s exterior with one’s interior’’ In ad...
According to the DSM-5, gender dysphoria is “the distress that may accompany the incongruence between one’s experienced or expressed gender and one’s assigned gender” (American Psychological Association, 2013). Even though studies have shown that not every individual suffers from distress, it is still possible that an individual might suffers from distress due to the hormonal treatment or surgical procedure(s). In the past, gender dysphoria has been referred to as “gender identity”. However, gender identity, by the DSM-IV definition is “a category of social identity and refers to an individual’s identification as male, female, or occasionally, some category other than male or female” (American Psychological Association, 2000). Individuals that identify themselves with another gender tend to change their sex, which has been proven to be a hard and long process.
Humans have established their own rights in society for many, many years now. However, because some humans differ from the norms that are built in society, they are shunned and denied their rights until they conform to society’s norms. There has been numerous groups of people who have been denied their rights in America. African Americans, immigrants, Native Americans, and gays have been isolated simply because that is the way that they were born into this world and others do not find them “normal”. There is another group that has also been mistreated though; people who identify themselves as transgendered. A good portion of society is unknowingly misinformed about these kinds of people.
When it comes to gender identity, one’s perception on which gender they would prefer has a sociological effect on them. The minor details in our environment can have a major effect on a person such as television shows, books, and many other things. What people are unaware of is this spectrum called a gender continuum that can help show the different ways people identify their selves; a gender continuum is an extension of the gender spectrum that includes various types of “genders”. Many people struggle with gender identity and they are thought to have gender dysphoria. Gender dysphoria is deemed as a mental illness in which a person feels distressed at the fact of them not being able to express their inner identity (web m.d.). Many people that suffer with this disorder go searching for a way to “treat” themselves, but there isn’t a treatment for GID. Psychologist often suggest the best way to help you deal with your gender identity struggles is to go have a talk therapy session with a therapist. It takes a conscious mind to deal with gender identification
Did you know that ninety-seven percent of rapists will never spend a day in jail? (RAINN) This fact is depressing considering the large percentage of rape victims. Things like rape and violence have a severe impact on the mentality level of people. Their lives will change forever after going through an intense situation such as being molested, beaten, or anything along those lines. It has caused people to commit the same crime, become severely depressed and suicidal, as well as many other unfortunate events. People look down on those who have gone through such events, some may say things such as, "you probably deserved it”, “you were dressed provocatively" or "how did you not enjoy that?” As such, rape is an underexplored
For many individuals, sexual and gender identity is a highly controversial topic to discuss. Those who have inconsistency with their internal or mental sense of gender compared to their physical gender is now described as a psychological disorder and is found amongst adults and adolescents. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders gender dysphoria also known as gender identity disorder refers to the stresses that accompany with the variances between one’s physical gender they were assigned at birth and one’s expressed or emotional gender (5th ed.; DSM-5; American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Gender dysphoria can be contributed to many different stressors determined by ones social interactions. Throughout the years the diagnosis of gender dysphoria has evolved due to the progression of medicine and new treatment discoveries to help limit further mental issues that come with sexual identity disorders.