Policy Text
Correctional Services Page 1 of 5 6/03.1 (New 11/18)
MJ/RCCC
Management and Interactions wit h Transgender and Gender Non-
Conforming Persons
The purpose of this Order is to p rovide employees and contract service providers, clear
guidelines for intake, processi ng and housing of transgender, g ender variant, non-binary
and intersex (TGNI) individuals , in the context of an evolving understanding of gender.
This Order is in place to meet Department of Justice Prison Rap e Elimination Act (PREA)
standards and other federal I state I local statues, standards, regulations, guidelines,
directives or requirements that p revent discrimination against, address the appropriate
treatment of, provide for the safety, security and medical need s of TGNI inmates in a
humane and respectful manner while maintaining the safety, secu rity and good order of
all SSD facilities.
I. Policy:
The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department (SSD) shall receive, evaluate on a
case-by-case basis, house and provide secure, safe and humane c ustody, of all
persons who are lawfully committed or held for confinement. All contacts with each
arrestee or inmate will be conduc ted in a respectful, courteous and professional
manner while maintaining safety and security. Discrimination or harassment of any
kind, including that based on act ual or perceived gender, gende r identity and
gender expression is strictly prohibited. Gender identity of al l persons shall be
respected.
II. General:
The SSD maintains a zero tolerance policy towards incidents of sexual assault I
abuse and sexual harassment, wh ile protecting the rights of
arrestees Iinmates Iclients, regardless of gender, gender identity, gender
expression or sexual orientation. Any substantiated claim of se xual misconduct,
sexual contact or sexual harassm ent by employees towards any pe rson may result
in discipline up to and in cluding termination, and I or referral for criminal charges.
Employees and contract service p roviders will address TGNI pers ons by their
chosen pronoun or by their last name. A notation of the chosen name and pronoun
shall be made on each TGNI classification record. All persons a re encouraged to
ask the TGNI individual about thei r preferences, if there is no documentation
Correctional Services Page 2 of 5 6/03.1 (New 11/18)
MJ/RCCC immediately at hand.
III. Definitions:
The definitions provided here are not intended to label individ uals, but rather to
assist in understanding this pol icy and Sacramento County Sheri ff’s Department
legal obligations.
A. Gender- Includes a person's gender identity and gender expre ssion. Gender
is the social construct used to classify a person as man, woman , both or neither.
Gender encompasses all relational aspects of social identity, p sychological
identity and human behavior.
B. Gender Identity- An individual' s sense of being either male or female or
something other or in-between. This may be d i f f e r e n t f r o m w h a t i s
traditionally associated with an individual's assigned sex at b irth.
C. Gender Expression- Gender-related traits that may or may not be consistent
with those traits typically asso ciated with a person's assigned s e x a t b i r t h .
External manifestations of gender, expressed through one's name , pronouns,
clothing, haircut, behavior, voi ce or body characteristics.
D. Gender-Variant- A person who displays gender expression or b ehavior that
does not conform to dominant gender norms of male or female. Ge nder variant
individuals may or may not identif y as male, female or transgen der. Also known
as gender non-conforming, gend er atypical or androgynous.
E. Intersex- Intersex individuals may be born with chromosomes, external
genitalia, and/or a reproductive system that varies from what i s considered
"standard" for either males or females. This condition may not become
apparent until later on in lif e, such as during puberty.
F. Non-Binary- A term for people with gender identities that fa ll somewhere
outside of the traditional concepti ons of either male or female . A similar
term is gender queer.
G. Questioning- A term used to describe those who are in the pr ocess of
discovery and exploration about t heir sexual orientation, gende r identity,
and/or gender expression.
H. Transgender- A term for people whose gender identity, expres sion, or
behavior is different from those typically associated with thei r assigned
sex at birth.
I. Sexual Orientation- A person's romantic and I or physical attraction to
people of a specific gender or genders.
Correctional Services Page 3 of 5 6/03.1 (New 11/18)
MJ/RCCC J. Sex Assigned at Birth- In the United States, individuals are assigned a
"female" or "male" sex at birth, based on a physician or other medical
professional's percepti on of external anatomy.
K. Transition- The process of changing one’s body from the sex that was
assigned at birth to match one’ s gender identity. Individuals u ndergoing
a transition often seek some form of medical treatment such as
counseling, hormone therapy, electrolysis, cosmetic surgery and /