On January 20, 2025 — his first day back in office — Donald Trump signed an executive order that immediately reshaped policy inside the federal prison system.
The directive ordered the Federal Bureau of Prisons to house inmates strictly based on biological sex — meaning transgender women would be placed in men’s prisons, and transgender men in women’s facilities.
The order also went further: it blocked federal funding for gender-affirming medical care, including hormone therapy, for all federal inmates.
What Supporters Say
The White House framed the move as a return to “common sense” and a step to protect women in federal custody.
Supporters point to the numbers:
- Around 155,000 total federal inmates
- Roughly 2,000 identify as transgender
- Only about 22 transgender women were housed in women’s prisons at the time
They argue the policy affects a very small group but addresses broader safety concerns.
What Critics and Courts Say
Critics — including civil rights groups and medical experts — argue the policy ignores real risks.
A Department of Justice report found transgender inmates were 10 times more likely to report sexual victimization than other prisoners.
Within weeks, federal courts began pushing back.
Senior Judge Royce Lamberth ruled that parts of the policy appeared “arbitrary and capricious” and ordered prisons to continue providing hormone therapy — calling it medically necessary care already prescribed by prison doctors.
Confusion Inside Prisons
After the order took effect, reports described chaos across facilities:
- Gender-affirming clothing was confiscated, returned, then confiscated again
- Wardens received unclear and conflicting instructions
- Policies shifted repeatedly over several weeks
The Cost Factor
In 2022, the Bureau of Prisons spent approximately $153,000 on hormone therapy — just 0.01% of its total healthcare budget.
What Happens Next
Parts of the policy are now tied up in court, and legal battles are expected to continue.
The outcome could set a major precedent for how federal prisons handle gender identity, medical care, and inmate safety going forward.
