A transgender woman incarcerated at a women’s only prison in New Jersey has been moved to another facility after impregnating two female inmates earlier this year, according to a local report.
Demi Minor, 27, was transferred last month from the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility in Clinton to Garden State Youth Correctional Facility, a prison for young adult offenders located in Burlington County, Dan Sperrazza, a spokesman for the state’s Department of Corrections (NJDOC), told NJ.com.
Sperrazza said Minor, who is serving a 30-year sentence for manslaughter, is currently the only woman incarcerated at the facility and was placed in the vulnerable unit.
He couldn’t comment further on Minor’s housing situation due to NJDOC’s privacy policies, the paper reported.
Minor’s move comes after the paper reported in April that Sperrazza said it appeared two women at Edna Mahan became pregnant after “consensual sexual relationships with another incarcerated person.”
Minor has since claimed in a July 15 post written on her website Justice 4 Demi that corrections officers beat her during her transfer, according to reports.
The department of corrections told NJ.com that it is investigating but could not comment further.
“NJDOC cannot comment on any active investigations,” a statement read. “The Department has zero tolerance for abuse, and the safety and security of the incarcerated population and staff are of critical importance.”
Edna Mahan Correctional Facility has faced a long string of sex assault scandals and Gov. Phil Murphy announced plans last year to shutter the facility, which is New Jersey’s only women’s prison.
In 2021, New Jersey enacted a policy to allow prisoners to be housed according to their gender identity following a lawsuit brought forth by a trans inmate who lived in men’s prisons for 18 months and the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey. The policy was mandated to remain in effect for at least one year.
Sperrazza told the paper that while the NJDOC continues to operate under the policy, “the department is currently reviewing the policy for housing transgender incarcerated persons with the intention of implementing minor modifications.”
Minor is eligible for parole in 2037, the paper reported, citing NJDOC.