“LGBTI Prisons Cause Institutional Discrimination”

Minister of Justice Bekir Bozdağ’s “Special Prisons for LGBTI” project got an extreme reaction from the non-governmental organizations which are working at prisons.  

Penalty Execution System Non-Governmental Association (CISST) member Mustafa Eren and Lambdaistanbul member Elif Avcı criticized the decision because it was made without asking the non-governmental organizations which have been working on this issue for a long time, they also mentioned that having a special prison for LGBTI inmates would cause many problems starting with isolation. 

Both of them mentioned that in the current situation, abuses, negligence and rape to LGBTI prisoners are caused by the prison staff and building a LGBTI prison wouldn’t end the safety problems. 

In addition, building this prison would be an exposure for prisoners who haven’t come out to their social environment yet, this would also mean having the visitors of these prisoners getting marked.

Eren and Avcı believes that LGBTI prisoners safety will be gained by correcting the current situation in prisons and they mentioned their suggestions on the issue. 

“Prisons must be cleared out of homophobia”

Elif Avcı from Lambdaistanbul said that the actual necessity is fixing the problems at current prisons. 

“This is not something that hasn’t been done before. For example, in Italy and in some countries of Europe there are these kind of applications, but there are reasons why these aren’t being applied in general. Like always, ministers are not choosing to work with the core of the field but decide and do everything on their own.” 

“The first thing that should be done is clearing current institutions of transphobia and homophobia. In the current situation, most of the abuses are caused by the prison staff and managers, so what would happen if a place like this opens up?”   

 “But, this project is cheaper and easier for them rather than educating their staff and solving the problems in prisons.”

“NGOs must get involved in this process”

Eren from CISST said, for trial process to be continued in a healthy way and for prisoners to maintain their relations with their families and social environments they should be kept where they are right now, and a special prison for them would mean exile and it would get harder for families and lawyers to visit the prisoners. 

 “As CISST, we believe what should be done for this situation is not building a special prison and institutionalizing discrimination, but solving the problems at the prisons that these people are in and getting NGOs involved in this process. 

“NGOs are working with LGBTİ prisoners and trying to get them out of their isolated situation, they would be helpful to educate the prison staff to decrease discrimination towards LGBTI and other prisoners. 

“Prison administrations should use their power and have an attitude about this situation so that LGBTİ prisoners would be able to use the common areas and benefit from social activities just like other prisoners and these would finally end their isolation physically.” (ÇT/ENÜ/BM)

* Click here to read the article in Turkish.