Transgender behind Prison Walls
Sarah Jane Baker
This is Sarah Jane Baker’s second book but the first book of its kind. Written by a transgender life-sentence prisoner this looks in detail, both personal experience and well researched evidence of what it’s like to live as a woman in a man’s prison. Bakers experiences range from the mundane and humbly personal to the harrowing and extremely distressing, all of them dealt with in a situation of deep distrust and antagonistic regime which gives as little respect or leeway to Trans prisoners as possible.
This is documented by Baker but also supported by written inclusions from other prisoners reflecting the same, or differently difficult, experiences. Throughout the book Baker shows that she not only understands the system, but the wider worlds of the people that are within it, governors, guards or other prisoners. Bakers writing comes from a space of self-acceptance, and reflection, and with plenty of detailed practical ideas and suggestions around self-acceptance and living authentic lives, hard won by her in her own personal journey. Baker’s important testimony details a journey of hope over despair.
This sets the book up not just as a highly supportive guide for anyone transitioning whilst in prison, but also as a key resource for family or friends supporting anyone. With chapters that cover step by step processes on everything from clothing tips, transition pathways, coming out to dealing with intrusive and abusive media attention. Bakers careful discerning critical eye misses little, but there is a gentle generous kindness abundant in this book, coupled with some well thought out and easy to apply suggestions of how best to improve the dignity of transgender prisoners. You can follow Sarah Jane via her twitter stream @LiferSarah and see some of the amazing art works that she’s created to draw attention to some of the daily horrors faces by LGBTQ+ prisoners, any sales help fund and support other LGBTQ+ folk living authentic lives in jail.
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