By Jennifer Brown
The Denver Post
Roxie Ellis, wearing a navy blue, male-issue jail uniform, is surrounded by men in a low-security pod of the downtown Denver jail. But a blue card stuck to her bunk says she prefers the pronouns “she” and “her,” and wants guards to call her Roxie — not the “government name” on her booking sheet. The blue card, which inmates can carry in their pockets or attach to their cells, is part of a Denver Sheriff Department policy for transgender detainees that has become a model copied by jails nationwide.
The policy was among the few positive things cited in a recent outside review of the troubled sheriff’s office. A consultants’ review, which made 277 recommendations for change, was ordered by Mayor Michael Hancock in 2014 after a string of excessive-force cases.
Transgender inmates in Denver can fill out a “statement of preference form,” including a preferred name and preferred pronouns, regardless of legal name change or whether they’ve undergone gender-reassignment surgery.
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