Locked: The complications of being a trans inmate

The Premise (from Apple Podcasts):

A disturbing crime, a desperate act, and how one case could change the way prisons treat some transgender inmates. From Boise State Public Radio and The Mountain West News Bureau, this is LOCKED, a podcast hosted by Amanda Peacher.

Series or standalone:

Series

Begin listening to:

Episode 1: "I'm Not a Monster Like Most People Think"

Format:

Investigative reporting

Host(s):

Amanda Peacher

Sound/production quality:

Very good

Rating/age suitability:

Adult; CW: sexual abuse of a minor; trans issues; suicide attempts

Approximate length of episodes:

25 minutes

Curricular ties:

N/A

Similar recommended pods:

For more prison experiences, check out Ear Hustle.

Podcast Librarian’s Review:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ This is a short podcast series (only 4 episodes which you can binge in about 1.5 hours) that covers a really interesting topic. Adree is a trans women serving a sentence in prison and who is suing the state of Idaho to get a sex-reassignment surgery. Trans issues are admittedly a blind spot (albeit unintentional) of mine, so I was really shocked to learn many of things I did from this podcast. For example, I had no idea that prisons do actually make some accommodations for trans inmates, which may include relocation, hormone therapy, or in some cases, gender confirmation surgery. Some prisons allow inmates to express themselves through the use of makeup or different hairstyles, but this can vary greatly among prisons or even among staff in the same prison. The podcast does a great job of acknowledging all the different considerations and sides to this story, and as a result, I’m still not sure how I feel about Adree and whether she should be allowed to have the surgery while incarcerated. This is further complicated by the fact that she’s in prison for the sexual abuse of a minor; it makes it pretty impossible to be sympathetic to her. The best podcasts are the ones that teach you something new and make you think, so in that way this pod definitely succeeds. Content warnings: Obviously, this pod won’t be for everyone because it involves trans issues, references to suicide attempts, and sexual abuse. The length of this series was perfect; I think it was just long enough to tell the story without beating a dead horse. There is a Q&A episode coming soon, and I know I’ll be keeping an eye out to see if and how the lawsuit is resolved. ⠀⠀⠀