Caldier bill would prevent inmates of different biological sexes with sexual or violent history from sharing cells

Rep. Michelle Caldier has introduced legislation that would prevent an inmate who has a history of sexual or physical violence from being placed in a cell or room with another inmate of a different biological sex.

The bill stems from an incident at the Washington Corrections Center for Women near Gig Harbor in which a fully intact biological male who identifies as female was placed in a cell with a female inmate in 2022 and allegedly sexually assaulted the woman. The attacker is a convicted sex offender who was transferred to the women’s prison after choosing to identify as a woman. That cellmate was relocated to the Monroe prison following the attack against the woman. The woman has since filed a lawsuit against the state Department of Corrections.

“What happened at the women’s correctional center was wrong and could have been prevented. How do you place a convicted, biologically intact male sex offender in a locked, enclosed space with a female prisoner and not expect something horrible to happen? It’s just common sense not to do that,” said Caldier, R-Gig Harbor. “My bill would put an end to this.”

House Bill 1629 would create new restrictions on the placement of inmates of different biological sexes in Washington corrections facilities. The bill says that “an inmate being housed in a correctional facility shall not be assigned to share a room or cell with any other person of a different biological sex than that of the inmate if the inmate has a history of sexual or physical violence against a victim whose biological sex is the same as the other person assigned to the room or cell.”

“I’ve been very concerned for a long time about this policy of placing transgender biological males in locked cells with females — especially someone with a sexually-violent history. It’s just asking for trouble, and that’s what happened,” added Caldier. “The actions of the Department of Corrections not only put the state at enormous liability but unnecessarily exposed this female inmate to harm that she couldn’t avoid or escape. We must end this practice now. This bill intends to do that.”

The measure has been referred to the House Community Safety Committee.