A female prisoner has claimed she was sexually assaulted by a trans inmate with male genitalia at a women's prison.
The inmate at Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women in New Jersey, where she has been locked up since 2003, claims she was assaulted in September and October last year.
She has now filed a lawsuit against the New Jersey Department of Corrections over the alleged lack of 'corrective action' taken by prison guards about the 'sexually aggressive and harassing behavior of the transgenders'.
The department is accused of failing to implement actions to protect inmates even after 'two female inmates became pregnant from sexual interactions with transgenders', according to local news outlet My Central Jersey.
She said she reported the assault by the transgender inmate - only identified with initials in the lawsuit - to staff at Edna Mahan, but was given disciplinary action instead, it says in the lawsuit filed on August 29 by Somerville attorney James Wronko.
The inmate at Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women (a sign near the entrance pictured above), where she has been locked up since 2003, claims she was assaulted in September and October last year
She said she reported the assault by the transgender inmate - only identified with initials in the lawsuit - to staffers at Edna Mahan, but was given disciplinary action instead, it says in the lawsuit filed on August 29 by Somerville attorney James Wronko (right, pictured above with actress Amy Locane)
She has now filed a lawsuit against the New Jersey Department of Corrections over the alleged lack of 'corrective action' taken by prison guards about the 'sexually aggressive and harassing behavior of the transgenders'
The transgender inmate who allegedly sexually assaulted her has since been transferred to a male facility.
Another claim made in the lawsuit alleges that transgender prisoners were housed with female inmates in areas not monitored by security cameras.
In a separate lawsuit against the Department of Corrections, a former Edna Mahan inmate claims she was forced to have sex with a male prison guard.
She claims the guard was in her cell, slapped her on the foot and told her 'to get up and come here' on August 21, 2021.
The guard told the inmate he could make her time at the prison 'really good' and that she did not 'want to leave with missing teeth,' the lawsuit claims.
Governor Phil Murphy ordered in June 2021 that the prison should be closed after the abuse scandals by guards became public
She then performed the sexual act on him and after that day, she never saw the guard again because he was transferred to a male prison, according to the lawsuit.
These are just two of many lawsuits brought against Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women.
Governor Phil Murphy ordered in June 2021 that the prison should be closed after the abuse scandals by guards became public.
No new location for the prison has been announced yet and the project is estimated to cost $300million.
Murphy had requested $90 million in this year's fiscal budget for the closure.
