News Staff Note-
Due to the Importance, Controversy, and Increasing number of Commentaries and Blog articles that are coming forth on this event, I am combining them into a single post. - SandraJane, News Staff________________________________________________
THE ATLANTICIs Denying Treatment to Transsexual Inmates 'Cruel and Unusual'?When a prisoner tries to commit suicide and self-mutilate, it's a sign of a serious medical condition -- one that the state has a duty to treat.By Wendy Kaminer | Sep 7 2012, 4:20 PM ET
http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2012/09/is-denying-treatment-to-transsexual-inmates-cruel-and-unusual/262074/
Kosilek in court in 1993 (AP)Convicted wife killer Michelle (née Robert) Kosilek is hardly a sympathetic figure, and Federal District Court Judge Mark Wolf will not win any popularity contests for ordering the Massachusetts Department of Corrections to provide Kosilek with sex change surgery for her severe "gender identity disorder." It's "an outrageous abuse of taxpayer dollars," Senator Scott Brown blustered predictably, although he favors spending many more taxpayer dollars to appeal Wolf's ruling in the hope that "common sense" will ultimately prevail.
----In fact, Judge Wolf found that state officials acted in bad faith to deny Koselik treatment for political, not penological, reasons. The judge found and stressed repeatedly that former Corrections Commissioner Kathleen Dennehy "engaged in a pattern of pretext, pretense, and prevarication" because she feared that providing sex change surgery to an inmate (particularly a convicted murderer) would "provoke public and political controversy, criticism, scorn, and ridicule."
She fabricated security concerns, "falsely claimed" not to know whether doctors "viewed sex reassignment surgery as medically necessary," and coordinated comments to the media with a state senator who sponsored legislation barring the use of tax dollars to provide sex reassignment surgery to inmates. In other words, she lied, shamelessly and repeatedly: "Dennehy testified untruthfully on many matters."
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THE GAZETTE montrealgazette.comNo Illusions: Massachusetts transgender case is unmitigated effrontery, writer saysPosted by: Jillian Page | September 7, 2012. 9:45 am • Section: Turning the Page
http://blogs.montrealgazette.com/2012/09/07/no-illusions-massachusetts-transgender-case-is-unmitigated-effrontery-writer-says/Yesterday, I wrote about the case of a convicted killer in Massachusetts, sentenced to life in prison, who has won the right to have sexual reassignment surgery, paid for by the state. I pointed out that I do not view this as a victory of any sort for the so-called "transgender community." It was a health-care decision made by a compassionate judge.
Today, I've been reading an article by Todd Hartley on The Aspen Times site. It's called I'm With Stupid: how we pay to make murderers feel better.
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THE ASPEN TIMESTodd Hartley: I'm With StupidHow we pay to make murderers feel betterTodd Hartley | The Aspen Times | Aspen, CO, Colorado | Friday, September 7, 2012
http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20120907/COLUMN/120909910/1021&parentprofile=1061Rarely, in the course of writing this column, is it my intention to really tick people off. That's not to say it doesn't happen, but usually when it does, it's because I'm a clueless, obtuse idiot, not because I'm trying to be cruel.
This week, however, I harbor no illusions. This column will absolutely make a niche segment of the American population unhappy even though that's not my intent. At some point, though, I just have to accept that I don't care and steel myself for the anticipated outrage.
I've found there are certain groups it's best never to mention even if you think you're saying positive things about them. One of those groups is the transgender community. I don't know any of them personally, so this is all just speculation, but they seem to be pretty unhappy and upset with the way the world views them, and if anyone who isn't transgender says anything about them, they seem very quick to be offended by it, regardless of the tenor of the comments.
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THE GAZETTE montrealgazette.comSRS Ruling on Killer Not a Victory for the Transgender 'Community'Posted by: Jillian Page | September 6, 2012. 10:05 am • Section: Turning the Page
http://blogs.montrealgazette.com/2012/09/06/srs-ruling-on-inmate-not-a-victory-for-the-transgender-community/I had mixed feelings yesterday when I saw a news story about an inmate in Massachusetts who has won the right to have sexual reassignment surgery (SRS), paid for by the state. The court decision is being hailed far and wide (see AP article on Gazette site) as a victory for the "transgender community" and the "transgender movement." The inmate is serving a life sentence without parole for the murder of her wife in 1990.
The thing is, considering the terrible slaying incident that happened Tuesday night at the venue where Premier elect Pauline Marois was presenting her election victory speech and the sadness everyone in Quebec is feeling, I couldn't help but think of the Massachusetts inmate's murdered wife. I thought of the sadness still being felt by her family, friends . . . by the people who loved her.
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THE WALL STREET JOURNAL LAW BLOG
Judge Orders Sex-Change Operation for Prisoner September 4, 2012, 4:13 PM
http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2012/09/04/judge-orders-sex-change-operation-for-federal-prisoner/http://pacer.mad.uscourts.gov/dc/opinions/wolf/pdf/kosilek%20eighth%20amendment%20decision.pdf
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a federal judge in Boston has ordered Massachusetts authorities to provide a taxpayer-funded sex-change operation for a transgender prisoner.
Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Wolf said he based his ruling on the recommendations of doctors at the commonwealth's Department of Correction who prescribed sex-reassignment surgery as "the only form of adequate medical care" for Michelle Kosilek.
Kosilek, who used to go by "Robert," is serving life in prison without the possibility of parole for the 1990 murder of his wife.
Judge Wolf, describing his 126-page order as "unprecedented," said that denying Kosilek the surgery was a violation of the Eighth Amendment's prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment.
