FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Who: Demi Minor
What: Trans Woman Removed from Female Prison and Sent to All-Male Prison
On June 24, 2022, Demi Minor was forcefully removed from Edna Mahan Correctional Facility. She was released from solitary on Thursday June 23, 2022 and placed in a newly created segregated wing for trans women that is isolated from the rest of the women at Edna Mahan. Demi complied with the orders given to her and went to the new unit. She immediately reached out to one of her support members, and stated, “Something about this unit is not right. I don’t know what’s going on, but they are trying to segregate us.”
Demi managed to send video showing the layout of this unit. The following day, Demi was advised she had a meeting. Demi prepared for the meeting and was ready at 10am. She noticed that the director who she had serious problems with was also going to attend the meeting. Director Alfred Kandell had already bragged to staff that he had intentions of sending many of the transgender women back to male prisons. Nevertheless Demi still prepared for the meeting. However, a few minutes later Demi was advised by a lieutenant, “Well you refused to go to your meeting.” Demi contested and repeated, “I never refused my meeting. I want to go.” She was told, “The director has a special plan for you.”
Demi is actively on feminizing hormones and approved for surgery. She currently has taken a mental health evaluation and seeks gender affirming surgery. She has been on hormones for 3 years. NJDOC continues to delay her treatment as a cruel punishment.
The meeting Demi was supposed to attend is called the PREA Accommodation Committee (PAC) the committee which is responsible for the housing of transgender women. Recently, Assistant Commissioner Helena Tome restructured the committee, allowing Director Kandell to have a seat on the committee. Demi was denied her right to attend this meeting. The policy stated that she was entitled to a fair impartial hearing, yet a week prior to the meeting an investigator told Demi that she may be moved. The meeting stated that for Demi’s safety she is being moved to a male facility. These decisions usually take up to 14 days to make, yet Demi’s decision was made and signed within 40 minutes.
Demi was handcuffed and escorted to the medical unit where she was then shackled and finally told that she was going to be transferred to a male facility. Demi immediately broke down and was observed by medical staff with make-up running down her face crying and refusing to get on the van.
Demi is a diabetic, so the entire morning she had not eaten and began to feel light headed. She fell out other van which caused officers to call a medical code. The situation quickly escalated as Director Kandell stated, “I don’t care what y’all have to do. Get his ass out of here.”
Officers begun trying to force Demi onto the van, they then called a “suited team” who arrived with riot gear on and batons. Demi was forcefully placed in the van.
While in the van, Demi wrapped the seat belt around her neck and attempted suicide. The van was stopped and officers rushed to the back calling a “Code 65” (suicide). The officer had to cut the seat belt off of Demi’s neck. Demi cried out “I don’t want to be raped again, I will die before that happens to me.”
Subsequently, the officer tried to call the transfer off citing that Demi was not safe to be moved. A call from Lieutenant came in that Director Kendall ordered the removal and staff were to proceed.
Officers strapped Demi onto a stretcher and begun to twist restraints and bend her fingers causing Demi pain. Many of the staff laughed and then Administrator Stem arrived and said, “good job boys,” to the suited team that was restraining Demi.
Demi continued to protest and refuse to leave. She was eventually dragged onto a van to Garden State Youth Correctional Facility where she was forced to be stripped by a officer of the opposite gender in violation of New Jersey Administrative Code 10A. The officers laughed and told Demi if she did not strip she would be forced stripped and placed in a dry cell. Demi cried and continued to comply.
Demi was placed on suicide watch in a smock laying on the ground. She was briefly transferred to New Jersey State Prison then returned to Garden State Correctional Facility.
She has been humiliated, groped, threatened, and even spit on while in Garden State Correctional Facility. The staff have repeatedly told her, “You are in a male prison. What do you expect?”
Recently after Demi’s team sent a letter to GSYCF, the administration has allowed Demi to have make up like other female inmates. She is the only woman in the jail that has make-up, and Demi, refuses to stop being her. She has continued to wear her make-up which only causes more harm and risk of assault. GSYCF administration has stated that Central Offices are responsible for her housing, and there is nothing they can do.
Although they have placed Demi in a vulnerable population unit, she is still housed with men who have propositioned her, and she still is being left in her room for up to 22 hours a day. She is also housed with numerous sex offenders who have asked her, “How do I get to Edna Mahan Correctional Facility.”
Demi does not feel safe at Garden State Youth Correctional Facility, and she remains in a environment where she is teased, harassed, assaulted, and ignored by staff.