Cook County Jail Using Gender Identity to Determine Housing

Cook County Jail has instituted a policy for housing transgender detainees based on their gender identity, rather than birth sex. The seven-page policy mandates that transgender detainees be allowed to consult with a "Gender Identity Panel" of physicians and therapists before being placed into male or female housing. It also directs correctional staff to allow transgender people to wear clothing and own hygiene products consistent with their gender identity.