Raising awareness about the transgender community in prison: Findings from a statewide training for correctional staff

• In Event: Health and Mental Health: Challenges and Opportunities for People Living and Working in Prisons

Abstract

The transgender community faces health and mental health risks during incarceration. Correctional staff play an important role in helping mitigate risks yet they feel unprepared to work with this population. This presentation discusses the development of a transgender awareness training for correctional staff and the evaluation of its impact on increasing knowledge and skills and reducing stigma. The training was offered statewide through an online, comprehensive training that included 11 modules with content broken down into three-to-five-minute segments and developed in collaboration with researchers, Department of Corrections (DOC) administration, community experts, one transgender DOC staff and person incarcerated, and people from the transgender community (non-DOC). The training was pilot tested with DOC staff who provided feedback. The final version of the training was launched statewide in 2021. A pre- and post-test design was used to assess changes in transgender awareness, knowledge, confidence, and stigma. Correctional staff (n=136), on average, significantly increased their knowledge (p< .001), skills (p< .001), and confidence (p< .001) in working with the transgender community and demonstrated significant reductions in stigma (p< .001). Findings suggest a comprehensive training is helpful in preparing correctional staff to work safely and respectfully with transgender individuals who are incarcerated.

Authors

• Kelli E. Canada, University of Missouri

• Carol Snively, University of Missouri

• Virginia Ramseyer Winter, University of Missouri

• Kathleen Preble, University of Missouri

• Anthony Banks, University of Missouri