Resource: Zayre-Brown v. The North Carolina Department of Public Safety

The American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU of North Carolina, and Patterson Harkavy LLP filed a complaint on behalf of Kanautica Zayre-Brown, a transgender woman incarcerated at Anson Correctional Institution, who is being denied essential gender-affirming health care. North Carolina Department of Public Safety (DPS) officials’ denial of gender-affirming healthcare and pattern of inhumane treatment has caused Mrs. Zayre-Brown extreme emotional and psychological distress, which has led to self-harm and thoughts of suicide. In addition to denying her gender-affirming health care, DPS housed Mrs. Zayre-Brown in male facilities for nearly two years before transferring her to a women’s facility, despite knowing that she is a transgender woman since she entered DPS custody.