Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said trans women are not women when it comes to incarceration. .“Trans women are women, but in the prison context, there is no automatic right for a trans woman,” said Sturgeon in a Monday video. .The video starts off with Channel 4 News correspondent Ciaran Jenkins asking Sturgeon if all trans women are women. She said that is not the point she is dealing with. .Jenkins said there are contexts where a trans woman is not a woman. She said there are “circumstances where a trans woman will be housed in the male prison estate.” .“Are there any contexts in which a woman born as a woman will be housed in the male estate?” he said. .She said the circumstances would not apply for that situation. He responded by saying it is different for trans women. .“There is a risk assessment process for trans women that takes account the nature of the crime,” she said. .“Clearly a significant concern rises over sexual crime and whether it’s appropriate for them to be in a female prison or a male prison.” .Sturgeon said Thursday transgender rapist Isla Bryson would not be serving time in a women's prison. .READ MORE: WATCH: Scottish man who raped two women, changed genders pulled from women's prison.“But given the understandable public and parliamentary concern in this case, I can confirm to Parliament this prisoner will not be incarcerated at Cornton Vale Women’s Prison,” she said. .“And I hope that provides assurance to the public presiding officer, not least the victims in this particular case.” .The Scottish government approved plans to make it easier and less intrusive for people to legally change their gender, expanding the new system of self-identification to 16- and 17-year-olds, on December 22. .The bill was passed by Members of the Scottish Parliament in a special extended session after being proposed by Sturgeon six years ago, after two of the largest public consultations in its history, and increasing political polarization. .The debate was disrupted minutes before the final vote by protesters in the public gallery shouting “Shame on you” and “This is the darkest day.”
