Transgender Inmate Seeks Transfer to Women's Prison After Gender Surgery
An incarcerated transgender woman in Ontario, who has been designated as a dangerous offender for committing multiple sex offences against women, is reportedly seeking a transfer to a women's correctional facility following the completion of gender reassignment surgery. The case highlights the complex intersection of correctional policies, gender identity rights, and public safety concerns within the Canadian prison system.
Background of the Case
Amanda Joy Cooper, a 58-year-old inmate currently held at the all-male Millhaven Institution in Eastern Ontario, has had multiple transfer requests denied by the Correctional Service of Canada. According to reports from CBC News, corrections officials have cited Cooper's high risk of reoffending and history of developing "obsessive attachments" to female prison staff as primary reasons for denying the transfer applications.
Cooper was born in Montreal in 1967 and, prior to transitioning, committed numerous sex offences that resulted in a dangerous offender designation in 2001. Prison authorities have concluded that Cooper would pose a "very high risk to the safety" of other inmates if transferred to a women's institution.
Legal Proceedings and Safety Concerns
The inmate, who has now fully completed gender-reassignment surgery, is taking the transfer request to Federal Court where a judge is scheduled to hear the case next week. According to Cooper's Nova Scotia lawyer, the transgender inmate is now legally considered female following the gender surgery and should be eligible for transfer under correctional policies that allow incarcerated individuals to apply for transfers based on gender identity or expression.
Cooper's legal team has also raised concerns about the inmate's safety in the current male facility. In an affidavit, Cooper stated: "On average, I am out of my cell only a couple hours per day at most. On weekends, sometimes I am out of the cell only 20-30 minutes per day. As a result, I have very little meaningful social interaction."
The court filing further detailed incidents where male inmates have threatened Cooper, used disparaging names, and in one instance, physically assaulted the inmate by grabbing her buttocks.
Correctional Service Statistics and Policies
According to data from Corrections Canada, the agency has received 129 requests from inmates assigned male at birth seeking transfers to women's institutions since March 2025. Of these requests, 37 were approved, 72 were denied, and 22 were withdrawn by the applicants.
Corrections officials also reported that as of October 2025, 90 inmates have identified themselves as transgender women within the federal prison system. Among these, 17 are currently held in women's prisons while 73 remain in men's facilities. Only a dozen of these transgender inmates have undergone gender reassignment surgery.
The case raises significant questions about how correctional systems balance the rights of transgender individuals with concerns about institutional safety and the protection of vulnerable populations within prison environments.
