A retired California sheriff says in a newly-released documentary series that state and federal transgender inmate policies have led to an “unprecedented rise in violence” in women’s prisons.
In September 2020, Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom signed the Transgender Respect, Agency and Dignity Act, which allowed women’s prisons to accept biological males as inmates if they identified as “transgender women.” Retired Los Angeles County Sheriff Detective Sergeant Richard Valdemar claims that he has witnessed an “unprecedented rise in violence” in not just California prisons but around the country due to recent policy changes regarding inmates that identify as the opposite sex that have so far been obscured from the public in an episode of a new docuseries titled “Cruel and Unusual Punishment” by the Independent Women’s Forum (IWF) exclusively obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
“In an attempt to integrate the yards, which is what they call it, California and other prison systems have begun putting people that formerly were held apart for their own safety or the safety of others, [and] have dumped them into the yards, and this has created an unprecedented rise in violence,” Valdemar stated in the episode.
Valdemar notes in the video that the staff still within the prison system know what is going on and they see the injustice but are too afraid to lose their jobs, so they won’t speak up.
“It’s happening everywhere, the federal system. I have friends in the … Bureau of Prisons Federal system, and it’s happening in Arizona … the important part of that is that the public doesn’t know that this is happening,” Valdemar stated.
Valdemar currently serves as a technical adviser expert within the federal court system and works for the Arizona attorney general’s office. Peers of Valdemar have also come to him with concerns regarding the effects of the recent transgender policies in prisons, the IWF told the DCNF.
“The issue Sgt. Valdemar is calling attention to (the lack of segregated housing) is a requirement based in federal law, specifically [Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA)] standard 115.42(g) – not California specific,” a spokesperson from Newsom’s office told the DCNF. The spokesperson also pointed to the state’s PREA webpage, which he said “clearly showing the state system takes this all very seriously.”
“Sgt. Valdemar said over the years, he grew somewhat cynical about the correctional world. But never in his most downhearted moments did he ever imagine that women would be forcibly housed alongside male offenders — many of whom are violent criminals and outright sex offenders,” the IWF told the DCNF.
Valdemar noted that during the early years of his employment at the county jail from 1970 to 1974, there was a separate section for the men who identified as “transgender women,” in order to protect them, a stark contrast to current policies in California.
“If this doesn’t constitute bigotry, I don’t know what does. You know they’re giving privileges to transgender males over what they give to females. That’s crazy,” Valdemar stated in the video.
Valdemar also expressed his concern over the fact that law enforcement is avoiding reacting to certain crimes, due to the issue of being politically incorrect.
“Even our department is reluctant to get involved in a lot of crimes because they’re afraid of the publicity, the media tension they would get if the person they happen to arrest is a minority … or transgender or gay,” Valdemar said. “The negative publicity that would bring causes them to be restrictive on them taking action.”
“As Sgt. Valdemar explained, many law enforcement professionals feel apprehensive about exposing overlooked consequences of housing male inmates with females,” Andrea Mew, IWF storytelling manager and co-producer of the series, told the DCNF. “But his own willingness to speak out, despite potential backlash, underscores a deep commitment to justice and the protection of vulnerable populations. His insights on transgender policies aren’t only informed by theory but by a lifetime of practical experience with boots on the ground.”
“Now you’re starting to see legislation come out in protection of women’s spaces and sports, and you’re seeing a lot more momentum and movement on the issue, and that’s what we’re really hoping to achieve with everything with prison policies,” Mew continued.
Biological male inmates identifying as transgender women are not unique to California, with the Heritage Foundation inquiring in April 2022 through a public records request to the Wisconsin Department of Corrections about the large number of transgender inmates who had committed sex crimes in the state system. Around half of the inmates in the Wisconsin prison system were convicted of at least one sexual abuse or assault when the request was answered over a year later.
Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York City have all passed laws allowing biological men to be housed in women’s prison facilities.
“Placing the wolf in the pen with the lambs is not the spirit of that law,” Valdemar said in reference to men being put in women’s prisons.
Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated Newsom’s office did not respond to a request for comment. That error has been corrected and the piece has been updated with a response from the governor’s office.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact [email protected].
