Advocate for ‘gender-affirming care’ for prisoners named by AG Garland to advisory board

Attorney General Merrick Garland has appointed a progressive state prison official — who was instrumental in establishing “gender-affirming care” for transgender inmates in Washington state — to serve on the advisory board of the Justice Department’s National Institute of Corrections (NIC).

Among the policies implemented was where a censure or other search would be “conducted by a gender corrections officer who has been legally requested by a transgender person.” For example, a male inmate who identifies as female may require a female prison guard to conduct an investigation.

Cheryl Strange was first appointed to the post of secretary of the Washington State Department of Corrections by Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee in May 2021.

“This is a great honor at the end of my career,” Strange said in a statement Monday. “In Washington state, we have made some of the nation’s leading reforms that have created a humane corrections system while also improving public safety. I look forward to collaborating with other state leaders at the state and local levels of government on ways that can be applied nationally.”

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According to its website, the NIC works to “influence disciplinary policies, procedures, and practices across the country” in both federal and state disciplinary systems. The NIC advisory board provides recommendations for raising prison standards to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the Department of Justice and Congress.

Strange’s appointment to the NIC board comes just days before the general election in November.

“Secretary Strange’s appointment is a testament to his lifelong commitment to public service and reform,” Federal Bureau of Prisons Director Colette Peters said in a statement released Monday. “His continued leadership has transformed Washington’s corrections system, prioritizing both public safety and humane management, and his perspective and experience will be invaluable as the NIC and Advisory Board work to raise the level of corrections across the country.”

Last year, the Washington DOC and Disability Rights Washington agreed to change their policies regarding transgender inmates as part of an agreement that began in 2019.

Under the new policies, the Washington DOC employed a “Gender Affirming Mental Health Specialist” at each prison and required “additional transgender-focused training for correctional officers and the provision of gender-affirming clothing for transgender individuals.”

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(Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Cheryl Strange, pictured, to serve on the advisory board of the Justice Department’s National Institute of Corrections.)

The agency’s compliance with the new policy will be monitored until 2026.

“This is a landmark agreement and we look forward to continuing to work closely with DRW to implement it,” Strange said in a statement at the time. “We’ve already made great strides in gender-affirming care for people with sex addiction in recent years, and this is another step in the right direction.”

The agreement also included that “DOC will ensure that transgender individuals in restricted housing still have a gender-affirming environment,” and “stops and searches of transgender individuals will be conducted by a legally requested transgender disciplinary officer.”

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Transgender policies have always been controversial in the US (Adobe Stock)

According to a DOC news release, “The department has already taken significant steps to update its policies to ensure equitable treatment of transgender, intersex and non-binary inmates since Secretary Strange took office in 2021.”

Washington is one of the few states that has funded inmate treatment with taxpayer dollars in recent years.

Strange also helped reform other aspects of the prison system, such as programs aimed at reducing recidivism among inmates, such as education and job skills training.

The Justice Department did not return Fox News Digital’s request for comment.