ABSTRACT
Drawing on official data and original interview data with transgender inmates in prisons for men, this chapter provides the first systematic empirical portrayal of a population that is exceptionally vulnerable by virtue of being both transgender and incarcerated. It focuses on demographic and well-being factors that characterize this population in ways that render it distinct from other inmate populations as well as non-incarcerated populations. The chapter details the research methodology employed and the data collected. It examines the demographic characteristics of transgender inmates in California prisons for adult men. The chapter compares transgender inmates in California prisons for men to the non-incarcerated transgender population, the incarcerated populations of both the USA and California specifically, and the non-incarcerated populations of the USA and California to determine whether these populations are comparable or distinct when it comes to a host of demographic and social factors that correlate with victimization and life chances more generally.
