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Gender Re-assignment for Bradley Manning?

EZEtoGRU

By EZEtoGRU
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uwsman2 Veteran

uwsman2

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In most prison systems, the general rule has been that if you are not already on hormones for GID, they will not let you start in prison. But federal court cases in recent years have ordered some prison systems to initiate hormone treatment, and there is a case pending on appeal before the federal court of appeals in Boston in which the trial judge ordered the Massachusetts prison system to provide sex reassignment surgery. But the first step is getting prison medical officials to certify that the inmate is actually transgender, and that hormone treatment is medically necessary for the condition. I'm not sure how this would go in the federal prison system.

 

I would speculate that given the nature of his offense, and his physical appearance (slight, young, a bit twinkish) prison authorities may well segregate him at the outset for his own safety.

 

One question that would arise if they allow him to begin gender transition would be whether at some point he would be transferred to a women's prison. The general rule is that nobody with a penis will be housed in a women's prison, so surgery would have to come before that could happen.

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EZEtoGRU Grand Master

EZEtoGRU

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In most prison systems, the general rule has been that if you are not already on hormones for GID, they will not let you start in prison. But federal court cases in recent years have ordered some prison systems to initiate hormone treatment, and there is a case pending on appeal before the federal court of appeals in Boston in which the trial judge ordered the Massachusetts prison system to provide sex reassignment surgery.

Wow. It blows my mind that a court can force the government to pay for sex change surgery and/or hormone treatments for inmates. Incredible. I can see the prison system covering basic necessary health care......but not pay for elective procedures.

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Guest verymarried

Guest verymarried

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I have friends with a 17 year-old transgender child trying to find his way. Though I haven't been following this case closely, it seems unfortunate that a convict becomes a poster child for the transgender issue. It's hard enough already for a teen and their family in middle America to find their way through this issue.

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WilliamM Grand Master

+ WilliamM

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Though I haven't been following this case closely' date=' it seems unfortunate that a convict becomes a poster child for the transgender issue. [/quote']

 

I spent two years in the military, and think the way Manning was treated pre-trial was awful and the sentence far too long. Yes, Manning may not be a good poster child for anything, but he is far from an evil monster.

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uwsman2 Veteran

uwsman2

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Transgender and homosexual are not the same thing. If at present Chelsea Manning is mainly erotically/emotionally attracted to men and remains attracted to men after gender reassignment, then Manning has gone from being homosexual to being heterosexual, I guess.

 

The court rulings are based on the 8th Amendment of the Constitution, which the Supreme Court has interpreted to require prisons to provide necessary treatment for serious medical conditions. The lower federal courts have come to generally agree that gender dysphoria (scientific term for transsexualism) is a serious medical condition. The area of disagreement concerns what is necessary medical treatment for that condition. The federal judge in Boston found that sex reassignment surgery is necessary medical treatment for the particular inmate's severe gender dysphoria (which has manifested itself in two failed attempts at self-castration by the inmate). This would be a case by case determination. The state has appealed the case, arguing that it should not be required to provide expensive surgical procedures at public expense, and that because the procedure would have to be performed in a hospital and the inmate was convicted of murder and is serving a life sentence, the risks of doing this are not warranted.

 

Most of the other cases that have been reported have just involved hormone therapy, and many courts have said that the prison system will have to absorb the cost of providing hormone therapy where qualified medical personnel have concluded that for the particular inmate it is medically necessary.

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  • 3 years later...
TruthBTold Grand Master

TruthBTold

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Now that her sentence has been commuted, can we get her to pay us back for the sex reassignment surgery us taxpayers paid for?

 

I think that we can probably let this one go. Because the President's act was simply a commutation and not a pardon it will probably not be too easy for Ms. Manning to get employment. Certainly not with the military. So, unless her parents are/were wealthy and willing to fork it over, it is probably going to be a long time until she has any money to tender to the U.S. government.

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OliverSaks Experienced

+ OliverSaks

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Now that her sentence has been commuted, can we get her to pay us back for the sex reassignment surgery us taxpayers paid for?

From an economic, emotionless perspective, I think that a case could be made that it was more cost effective to provide the surgery. Two suicide attempts in prison (hospital stays are quite expensive, even in prison) and no telling what might have occurred in the future...

 

On a spiritual level, she was in great, great psychiatric pain (gender dysphoria) and certainly other contributors in the milieu of her suffering. For her, this surgery would be an effective means of treatment.

 

I think your statement is a little callous. You don't know (I don't believe you are transgendered) how it would be to be in her shoes.

 

Additionally and on a related note, we are constantly paying for the poor decisions of our citizens as taxpayers. We treat the results of smoking and poor diet and idiocy (not wearing motorcycle helmets / wearing seat belts) - at a big cost to the US citizen and to our Medicaid system. I would hope you are vocal in your disapproval of these entirely modifiable behaviors and that you are personally a model of health and good decisions.

 

I hope you could see how Manning's case is not the same as the others I've mentioned. She deserves none of our collective ire for this, "...for costing taxpayers money."

 

-0S

(Post made in haste, apologies for any error)

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mike carey Grand Master

mike carey

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Most of the other cases that have been reported have just involved hormone therapy, and many courts have said that the prison system will have to absorb the cost of providing hormone therapy where qualified medical personnel have concluded that for the particular inmate it is medically necessary.

Now that her sentence has been commuted, can we get her to pay us back for the sex reassignment surgery us taxpayers paid for?

My understanding is that federal prisons pay for necessary medical treatment for inmates. Providing the surgery would have been the result of a medical decision that it was a necessary treatment, it would not have been a political decision. We, as laymen, can argue the toss about whether it was the most appropriate treatment, but once the medical authorities have made the decision and the treatment has been provided, that should be the end of the matter. (Think how much the taxpayer has saved by not having to house her in a federal prison for another 30 years.)

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nycman Grand Master

+ nycman

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My understanding is that she has yet to have the surgery performed....NYTimes Link

 

For the record, I'm not in favor of the President commuting a prisoner's sentence unless there are extenuating

circumstances. Although her punishment was quite harsh, she could have been given the death penalty for her

act of treason. Nonetheless, it was an easy out of a bad situation. Unfortunately, she was probably getting better

psychiatric help in a military jail that she will receive as a dishonorably discharged civilian. I'm not sure Obama

did her any favors.

 

Also, I don't think taxpayers should be paying for sexaul reassignment surgery. Period.

 

For the record, Obama has commuted more sentences than any president in history.....Chicago Tribune Link

 

I'm not sure any of this matters after tomorrow, however.

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YoungAD Enthusiast

YoungAD

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Wow. It blows my mind that a court can force the government to pay for sex change surgery and/or hormone treatments for inmates. Incredible. I can see the prison system covering basic necessary health care......but not pay for elective procedures.

 

My understanding is that federal prisons pay for necessary medical treatment for inmates. Providing the surgery would have been the result of a medical decision that it was a necessary treatment, it would not have been a political decision. We, as laymen, can argue the toss about whether it was the most appropriate treatment, but once the medical authorities have made the decision and the treatment has been provided, that should be the end of the matter. (Think how much the taxpayer has saved by not having to house her in a federal prison for another 30 years.)

 

My understanding is that she has yet to have the surgery performed....NYTimes Link

 

For the record, I'm not in favor of the President commuting a prisoner's sentence unless there are extenuating

circumstances. Although her punishment was quite harsh, she could have been given the death penalty for her

act of treason. Nonetheless, it was an easy out of a bad situation. Unfortunately, she was probably getting better

psychiatric help in a military jail that she will receive as a dishonorably discharged civilian. I'm not sure Obama

did her any favors.

 

Also, I don't think taxpayers should be paying for sexaul reassignment surgery. Period.

 

For the record, Obama has commuted more sentences than any president in history.....Chicago Tribune Link

 

I'm not sure any of this matters after tomorrow, however.

 

Why would you be against the taxpayers paying for a sexual reassignment surgery? Are you saying it is superfluous like plastic surgery? Are you saying transgenders do not deserve public support?

 

While I have empathy with Manning's situation in that she has an important medical issue, I would agree with those who state that it is not the government's responsibility to pay for something elective such as gender reassignment. There are thousands of people with much more pressing issues that are literally life-or-death situations. I would be happy to support a low or no interest loan or partial subsidy for Manning and those others like her, but not full coverage of the cost and follow-up treatments, which would likely run well past several hundred thousand dollars. These funds could support vaccinations, dental work or smoking cessation programs for probably scores (if not hundreds) of individuals who lack proper care.

 

With that said, the prior comment about "superfluous" plastic surgery is misleading. There are many different types of plastic surgery, and I would gladly support reconstructive, post-cancer surgery for anyone versus breast augmentation to make someone "feel better about themselves." At some point a line must be drawn.

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José Soplanucas Grand Master

+ José Soplanucas

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While I have empathy with Manning's situation in that she has an important medical issue, I would agree with those who state that it is not the government's responsibility to pay for something elective such as gender reassignment. There are thousands of people with much more pressing issues that are literally life-or-death situations. I would be happy to support a low or no interest loan or partial subsidy for Manning and those others like her, but not full coverage of the cost and follow-up treatments, which would likely run well past several hundred thousand dollars. These funds could support vaccinations, dental work or smoking cessation programs for probably scores (if not hundreds) of individuals who lack proper care.

 

With that said, the prior comment about "superfluous" plastic surgery is misleading. There are many different types of plastic surgery, and I would gladly support reconstructive, post-cancer surgery for anyone versus breast augmentation to make someone "feel better about themselves." At some point a line must be drawn.

 

My use of "superfluous" was intentional. I agree with you, I was not referring to reconstructive surgery.

I understand your point, the disagreement is whether or not gender reassignment is a medical need.

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