Since releasing the SSPA review and report of Western Australia's COPP 4.6 policy, which allows cross-sex placement within prisons, jails and youth correctional facilities, numerous changes have been made to the policy.
Single Sex Prisons Australia released its Commissioner’s Operating Policy and Procedure (COPP) 4.6 Trans, Gender Diverse and Intersex Prisoners: Review, Report and
Recommendations in November 2020 following the implementation of the COPP 4.6 Trans, Gender Diverse and Intersex Prisoners policy by the WA Department of Justice.
Through consistent lobbying via emails, letters and submissions, members of Single Sex Prisons Australia and SSPA's supporters from across Australia have been able to force changes to this policy.
Numerous steps have been added to the process which must be undertaken in order for a Request to Transfer to be considered. The below images below show some of the added provisions:
It is important to note two observations:
the additions to the policy remove any and all doubt that there is confusion about who is being allowed to be housed with vulnerable women; it's biological males.
the COPP 4.6 policy, and similar policies in other states and territories, is still not fit for purpose. No amount of additions to a policy full of provisions which should not exist in the first place will make that policy suitable.
What these additions to the policy do show, and what we can take from this, is that lobbying works. The added provisions to this policy are proof that the pressure we are placing on our elected officials and representatives is doing what we need it to do.
Now, we must put even more pressure on state and federal government to put an end to absurd policies and legislative provisions which allow men to be placed and housed as/with women in female prisons and jails.
What must be made clear to all state and territory politicians is that no amount of added provisions or steps nullifies the inherent risks that members of the male sex pose to members of the female sex, especially within prisons and jails. Correctional facilities must be sex-segregated.
Below is the older version (v1.0) of the COPP 4.6 policy and the next file is the most recent version (v4.0) of the COPP 4.6 policy (as of January 22, 2024).
VERSION 1.0
VERSION 4.0
Here are the dates of changes made since November 2020 when the SSPA review, report and recommendations document was released:
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