A transgender prisoner who has been locked up with women for six years says she fears she would not survive if she is moved to a men’s prison. Sophie Eastwood – who is serving life for murdering a male cellmate in prison in 2004 when she was still known as Daniel – has been held among female prisoners in Cornton Vale since 2017.
She believes she would be a target for sexual violence if she returns to the male estate. The Scottish Prison Service announced a full case review for every transgender person currently in custody in the wake of a public outcry following the case of Isla Bryson, a transgender double rapist who was initially sent to a female jail.
Eastwood, 38, said: “I was threatened by other prisoners in the male estate when I started to transition and the main threat was that I would suffer serious sexual violence. It was a relief to be moved to the female estate where I have felt safe and I’ve gained the trust of fellow prisoners. I think Scottish Prison Service staff manage trans prisoners well but it would be impossible for me to feel safe in a male prison.”
