Trans woman reports abuse by male prison guards despite court order
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A trans woman incarcerated at Two Rivers Correctional Institution in Umatilla, Oregon has accused prison staff of violating a court order by subjecting her to abuse. Zera Lola Zombie, 39, alleges that male prison guards performed a body-cavity search on her and forced her to strip in the presence of male staff and inmates. This comes despite a court order issued earlier this year by US District Judge Ann Aiken, which mandated that Zombie be treated as a vulnerable individual and be kept in her own cell away from other prisoners to prevent assault.
The court order, issued in September, was a result of a lawsuit filed by Zombie, who claimed that she had been discriminated against based on her gender identity and had been sexually assaulted by another inmate at Two Rivers. The order specifically stated that Zombie should not be forced to be nude or exposed in front of male prisoners or staff. However, Zombie now asserts that the state should be held in contempt of court for violating this order.
According to Zombie’s lawyers, John Burgess and Katharine Edwards, the alleged abuse occurred in November when guards came to Zombie’s cell and placed her in a small disciplinary segregation cell. They ordered her to be strip-searched and provide a urine sample in front of male officers, despite her legal entitlement to have these procedures performed by female prison officers. When Zombie pointed out the court order, she was left alone in the cell until she eventually urinated in her clothing.
Zombie’s lawyers further stated that when Zombie removed her prison clothes to let them dry, guards handcuffed her and “paraded her” in front of male staff and inmates wearing only her underwear. She was then brought into another room where she was subjected to a “humiliating body cavity search” by a male officer. After the search, Zombie was cited for contraband and disobedience of an order and has since been placed in a disciplinary cell where she is forced to shower in the view of male inmates and prison staff.
A lawyer for the Oregon Department of Justice argued that Zombie and several other prisoners were searched based on suspicions of illicit drug activities, and that no suitable female officers were available at the time. However, Judge Aiken questioned this justification, pointing out that the strip search could have been delayed until a qualified female officer was available, especially since the drug they were searching for, called “spice paper,” was not life-threatening like other drugs.
Judge Aiken expressed deep concern over the allegations and warned that if Zombie’s claims turned out to be true, there would be sanctions. She emphasized that all inmates in Oregon’s correctional facilities deserve to be treated appropriately and humanely, stressing that prison should not be a place for further abuse.
Zombie, who is serving a prison sentence for manslaughter and assault charges, is not expected to be released until 2049. Her case highlights the importance of respecting the rights and dignity of transgender individuals within the prison system. It also underscores the need for proper training and adherence to court orders to ensure the safety and well-being of vulnerable prisoners. The outcome of this lawsuit will undoubtedly have significant implications for the treatment of transgender inmates in Oregon’s correctional facilities.
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trans woman, abuse, male prison guards, court order
