City jails fail to protect or properly identify transgender people, task force finds
Three years after the death of Layleen Polanco in solitary confinement, a new report documents systemic failures that have left most trans people misclassified, with some alleging violence.
This article was originally published on by THE CITY
This reporting was produced in partnership with New York Public Radio station WNYC and its news site Gothamist.
In 1979, the city Department of Correction created a special unit within the men’s jails on Rikers Island to house gay men and transgender women.
The separate housing area — the first of its kind in the country — was initially a major success and touted as a revolutionary way to protect that vulnerable population.