Federal Probe Launched into Trans Inmates in California Women's Prisons

Women's advocates celebrate investigation into claims of sexual assaults by trans prisoners

Mar. 27, 2026 at 12:48am

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The U.S. Department of Justice has launched an investigation into whether California's policies allowing transgender inmates to transfer to women's correctional facilities violates the rights of female prisoners. The probe comes amid a disturbing case involving a transgender inmate accused of raping and impregnating a fellow female prisoner.

Why it matters

The investigation highlights the ongoing debate over transgender rights and the safety of women in prisons. Women's advocates have long argued that housing transgender women with biological females puts the latter at risk of sexual assault and trauma, while supporters of transgender rights say trans women face high rates of violence and abuse in men's prisons.

The details

The DOJ investigation is focused on women's facilities in California and Maine, including the California Institution for Women in San Bernardino County and Central California Women's Facility in Chowchilla. In one case, a transgender inmate named Tremaine Carroll was housed at the Central California Women's Facility and has been charged with raping three women, with one victim becoming pregnant. Prosecutors argue Carroll does not sincerely identify as a woman but is exploiting the system to gain access to female inmates.

  • In 2021, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 132, also known as the Transgender Respect, Agency and Dignity Act, which allows transgender, nonbinary, and intersex inmates to be housed according to their gender identity.
  • Since SB 132 was implemented, 1,028 people have requested transfers to women's prisons based on their gender identity and 47 have been approved, according to state statistics.
  • Tremaine Carroll's case is currently set for trial later this year.

The players

Erin Friday

An attorney and women's advocate who celebrated the federal investigation.

Amie Ichikawa

The founder of WomanIIWoman, a nonprofit organization providing reentry services for incarcerated women, who called the investigation a 'source of hope and light' for women in prison.

Tremaine Carroll

A 52-year-old transgender inmate who has been charged with raping three women while imprisoned in the Central California Women's Facility.

Scott Wiener

The California state senator who authored SB 132, the Transgender Respect, Agency and Dignity Act, which allows transgender inmates to be housed according to their gender identity.

Gavin Newsom

The Governor of California who signed SB 132 into law in 2021.

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What they’re saying

“Finally, complete joy on our end.”

— Erin Friday, Attorney and women's advocate

“We should never have to wait for women to get raped and beaten to decide whether their rights are being violated.”

— Amie Ichikawa, Founder of WomanIIWoman

“Putting them into the same population ....is very detrimental to anyone's ability to rehabilitate.”

— Amie Ichikawa, Founder of WomanIIWoman

“President Trump is the one who should be sent to a men's prison, not the trans women who are routinely targeted and raped in men's prisons.”

— Scott Wiener, California State Senator

What’s next

The court will rule on whether Tremaine Carroll must be addressed using she/her pronouns, with prosecutors arguing that Carroll does not sincerely identify as a woman but is exploiting the system to remain in a women's facility.

The takeaway

This investigation highlights the ongoing tensions between transgender rights and the safety of women in prisons, with advocates on both sides making impassioned arguments. The outcome could have significant implications for how California and other states handle the housing of transgender inmates.