Tell CoreCivic: Stop Violence Against LGTBQ+ Prisoners

LGBTQ+ people are being left to fend for themselves inside CoreCivic prisons — and the consequences are violent.

A new investigation from Truthout exposes dangerous conditions at Tennessee’s South Central Correctional Facility. LGBTQ+ prisoners report being denied safe housing, thrown into hostile units, and left exposed to harassment and assault. Trans people are routinely placed in facilities that don’t match their gender identity — a decision that can be a death sentence behind bars.

CoreCivic profits from locking people up. It does not get to shrug off responsibility for their safety.

Tell CoreCivic CEO Patrick D. Swindle: “End violence against LGBTQ+ prisoners. Respect gender identity in housing decisions, and end policies that leave queer and trans people vulnerable to violence.”

Enforcement of the Prison Rape Elimination Act has already been weakened under Trump’s Department of Justice, especially for trans and intersex people. And data shows LGBTQ+ people face some of the highest rates of sexual victimization in prison. 

Some incarcerated people have even been left effectively “unhoused” within facilities run by CoreCivic — shuffled around or isolated in harmful conditions instead of protected.

CoreCivic depends on government contracts and public trust. That’s why public pressure is so important. If enough of us demand change, CoreCivic knows they’ll face more challenges when seeking future contacts and renewals if they don’t act now.

No one deserves abuse behind bars. Add your name and demand CoreCivic end policies that put LGBTQ+ prisoners at risk.

The petition to CoreCivic CEO Patrick D. Swindle reads: “End violence against LGBTQ+ prisoners. Respect gender identity in housing decisions, and end policies that leave queer and trans people vulnerable to violence.”