Justice For Demi
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Justice For Demi Statement on Pregnancies at Edna Mahan

Justice For Demi is a juvenile justice and LGBTQ rights organization founded by Demi Minor, a trans inmate currently housed at Edna Mahan Correctional Facility.

About Demi Minor

Demi is currently serving a 30 year sentence with a mandatory minimum of 25 for manslaughter from when she was 16 years old. During her time in prison, Demi has learned the law and become an advocate for other inmates facing injustices inside, injustices she often faces herself.

Demi was surprise transferred to Edna Mahan in 2020 while earnestly requesting hormones and gender affirming items, things supply chains didn’t exist for in a men’s prison.

Since then, Demi became active in prison life, representing her unit on the inmate liaison committee. She was an active participant in the consultations pertaining to the consent decree levied against the facility for its record of sexual abuse.

During Demi’s time in Edna Mahan, she has faced sexual abuse and harassment at the hands of correctional officers and other inmates, which she has reported and was only partially accommodated for.

Pregnancy and Punishment

At least as early as January, Demi began sexual relationships with two women, both of which resulted in the pregnancies which have been reported in the news.

The pregnancies came to light on Friday when Latonia Bellamy tested positive. You can read her statement on our website.

Since Friday, all three women have been held in some form of solitary confinement whether in the restorative housing unit, the medical unit, the mental health unit, or the closed custody unit. This is a violation of the Isolated Confinement Restriction Act which prohibits the use of solitary confinement on vulnerable populations, defined to include pregnant and transgender inmates.

They were all given custody statuses that did not match their treatment. Demi was told through the food hole of the door she was locked behind for hours by a representative from the Ombudsman’s office that she was not in solitary and in any case transgender inmates are not vulnerable population. Gaslighting.

On Monday, all three women were given two charges: 051 engaging in sex acts and 306 disorderly conduct. In their conversations with SID, all three women confirmed that the sex was consensual.

On Tuesday, Demi alone was given a notice for a hearing for interstate transfer on the pretext that she is a security threat. Depending on her placement, this could mean loss of her access to hormones, gender affirming items, gender appropriate housing, and surgery.

To be clear, Edna Mahan has housed pregnant inmates before. Edna Mahan has had inmates caught in romantic relationships before. None of this has ever constituted a security threat.

Technically, we have no idea when the hearing is actually supposed to be. We know that the earliest they can have it is Thursday, but the line for the hearing date was filled out with the date it was served.

On Wednesday, only the pregnant women had their hearings on their charges during which their 306 charges were dropped. Still they have had their phone and email privileges revoked and are in some form of solitary confinement.

Our Call

While we at Justice For Demi believe it is preposterous that we try to rehabilitate people into caring members of society in an environment where they are literally prohibited from expressing love (not just having sex), we also believe in taking accountability for your actions.

All three women are taking full responsibility for the consequences of their actions. But while they are looking to proactively plan for their pregnancies, administration has more of an interest in meting out punishment.

Stress is not good for fetal development, and the isolated conditions, the near daily housing changes, and the stifling of support from family stands to cause fetal underdevelopment or a miscarriage.

Justice For Demi calls on all officials to stand up for equality. These women engaged in the same acts and ought to receive the same penalty, not just as each other but as other inmates who have faced the same charges. Transgender sexuality is not a security threat.

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