Wednesday, April 24, 2019

HOW BAD AN IDEA IS THIS ?

I'll Give You A Hint. Very Bad

by Bob Walsh

There is a legislative proposal moving thru the capitol in the formerly great state of California that has the potential to make the prison system even more chaotic than it is right now.

Under the current rules gender assignment is easy. I know, I used to do it when I ran the reception center. If your birth certificate says MALE and you have a dick you go to a men's prison. If not, the matter is up for legitimate debate. (Remember in CA now it is possible to have a birth certificate that indicates non-binary under sex / gender.)

Under the new proposal the inmate would determine his own gender by declaration. The DOC would have no right to question the inmate's decision, which he / she could change at will. Staff would be required by law to address the inmate by the pronoun that he / she chooses.

The real fun part comes with housing. The DOC would be required by this proposal to house the inmate appropriately to his / her declared gender. Period.

I am sort of hoping that the legislature is smart enough to realize the problems this has the potential to introduce into an already trouble-prone system, but anticipating that the legislature is composed of reasonably smart people is in itself not smart.

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