Correctional staff knowledge, attitudes and behaviors toward incarcerated trans people: A scoping review of an emerging literature

Figures & data

Table 1. Search strategy.

Search	Search Terms
#1 (truncated)	Prison* OR detention* OR incarcerat* OR custod* OR jail OR goal OR “correction* facility*” OR “correction setting*” OR “correction* service*” OR “detain* setting*” OR probation OR confinement OR penitentiar* OR penal OR imprison* OR lockup OR detention OR “Juvenile justice system” OR juvenile prison OR youth juvenile OR youth justice
	“correctional officer” OR “correct* officer” OR “correct* manager” OR staff OR worker OR workers OR “prison educat*” check OR immigration detention
	Transgender OR transmen OR transman OR transmale OR “trans man” OR “trans men” OR “trans male” OR transmasc OR transmasculine OR transfem OR transfeminine OR transwoman OR transwoman OR transfemale OR “trans woman” OR “trans women” OR “trans female” OR LGBT* OR trans OR “gender identity” OR “gender identities” OR “trans identity” OR “trans identities” OR “Female to Male” OR “Male to Female” OR transsexual? OR transexual? OR trans* OR FTM OR MTF OR “gender reassignment” OR “sex reassignment” OR “gender minority” OR “sex change” OR “gender change” OR “gender dysphoria” OR transsexualism OR “gender identity disorder”
	knowledge OR attitude* OR behavior* OR behavior* OR perception OR view* OR management OR practice*
#2 (non-truncated)	Prison OR prisoner OR detention OR detained OR incarcerated OR incarceration OR custody OR jail OR goal OR “correction facility” OR “correctional facility” OR “correction facilities” OR “correctional facilities” OR “correction setting” OR “correction settings” OR “correction service” OR “correctional services” OR “detain setting” OR probation OR confinement OR penitentiary OR penitentiaries OR penal OR imprison OR imprisonment OR lockup OR detention OR “Juvenile justice system” OR juvenile prison OR youth juvenile OR youth justice
	“correctional officer” OR “corrections officer” OR “correctional officers” OR “corrections manager” OR “correctional manager” OR staff OR worker OR workers OR “prison educators” OR check OR immigration detention
	Transgender OR transmen OR transman OR transmale OR “trans man” OR “trans men” OR “trans male” OR transmasc OR transmasculine OR transfem OR transfeminine OR transwoman OR transwoman OR transfemale OR “trans woman” OR “trans women” OR “trans female” OR LGBT OR LGBTI OR LGBTIQ OR LGBTIQA OR LGB OR trans OR “gender identity” OR “gender identities” OR “trans identity” OR “trans identities” OR “Female to Male” OR “Male to Female” OR transsexual? OR transexual? OR FTM OR MTF OR “gender reassignment” OR “sex reassignment” OR “gender minority” OR “sex change” OR “gender change” OR “gender dysphoria” OR transsexualism OR “gender identity disorder”
	Knowledge OR knowledges OR attitude OR attitudes OR behavior OR behaviors OR behavior OR behaviors OR perception OR view OR views OR management OR practice OR practices

Figure 1. PRISMA flow diagram of review search for research question.

Table 2. Characteristics of reviewed studies (n = 7).

Author and Year	Location of Research Study	Aim(s)/Objectives	Study Population	Methods	Key Findings
Adorjan et al., (2021)	Canada Adult setting	What are correctional officer recruits’ views about working with trans colleagues and around the new trans prisoner placement policy allowing prisoners to choose which gendered prison they are placed in.	Correctional officer recruits (n = 66)	Qualitative research paradigm: data collected using semi-structured interviews; analyzed using semi-grounded approach to qualitative coding.	Identified knowledge from cisgender COs, regarding policy changes and views. Reported overwhelming support for trans colleagues, however, is contingent upon safety and security within a cisgender prison culture situated within a wider unsettled prison culture.
Byrd (2020) [doctoral dissertation]	US Adult setting	What is the level of knowledge prison staff have about their responsibilities regarding equal treatment and protection of trans incarcerated persons, and how does this influence prison staff perceptions around the various types of maltreatment trans incarcerated persons experience?	Prison Officials (n = 7)	Qualitative action research. Data collected using focus groups/policy and procedure documents; analyzed using coding procedures.	Findings suggest that personal biases of correctional staff and lack of accountability from management/ supervisors were causes for maltreatment of trans officers in prisons.
Clark et al. (2017)	US Adult setting	What is the knowledge of, attitudes toward, and experiences of correctional health care providers’ around providing care to trans incarcerated people?	Correctional Healthcare Proiders (n = 20)	Qualitative research. Data collected using semi-structured in-depth interviews; analyzed using modified grounded theory framework and thematic analysis.	Findings revealed incarcerated trans people do not receive consistent adequate or gender-affirming care during incarceration due to factors including lack of training, restrictive healthcare policies, unsupportive prison culture and lack of trans cultural and clinical competence.
White Hughto et al. (2017)	US Adult setting	By adapting, delivering and evaluating a trans cultural and clinical intervention, can the knowledge, attitudes, skills, self-efficacy and subjective norms held by correctional healthcare providers be increased to improve the gender-affirming care provided for trans patients?	Correctional healthcare providers. Baseline and immediate follow-up n = 34; 3-month follow-up n = 28. Interviewed after 3-month follow-up n = 12.	Mixed methods approach at a single session, group-based intervention. Quantitative data collected using longitudinal repeated measure design over three time points (baseline survey/post-training survey/ 3-month follow-up). Qualitative data collected after the third time point, n = 12 semi-structured interviews.  Quantitative data analyzed using descriptive statistics; qualitative data analyzed using thematic analysis.	Findings showed that the intervention resulted in an immediate increase post-intervention of providers willingness to provide gender-affirming care, as well as increases over time in trans cultural competence, medical gender affirmation knowledge, self-efficacy to start hormones for trans women and subjective norms related to trans care.
Marlow et al. (2015)	UK Adult setting	In relation to correctional staff and trans incarcerated persons are there any identifiable equity and diversity issues surrounding the interactions between them, and what is the knowledge and information available to staff regarding trans* incarcerated persons?	Correctional Staff (n = 6)	Qualitative research. Data collected using semi-structured interviews; analyzed using thematic analysis.	Findings indicate that correctional staff collaborate with incarcerated trans people but recommends additional guidance with identifying boundaries, as well as staff benefiting from more education on the impact of trans identity on criminogenic needs.
Matarese et al. (2023)	US Youth setting	To understand the impact the knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs of juvenile justice workers on behaviors toward diverse incarcerated youth.	Correctional staff (n = 237)	Quantitative analysis including independent samples t-tests.	Positive correlation between knowledge level and self-reported demonstrated protective and supportive behavior toward incarcerated youth.
Walker (2020) [doctoral dissertation]	US Youth setting	Would religious beliefs, lack of LGBTQI training, and inadequate policies and procedure hinder correctional staff members’ interactions with trans juvenile incarcerated persons?	Correctional Staff Pretest-sensitivity training-post-test n = 80; Focus group n = 20	Mixed methods quasi-experimental approach: Pretest and post-test survey responses collected, focus group; analyzed using descriptive statistics/content analysis	Higher education and professional occupations positively impact interactions with trans persons in the juvenile justice system. Importance of how organizational work environments and culture can override personal beliefs, leading to reduced discrimination.

Byrd, J. R. (2020). Transgender protection and best practices in the prison setting (Publication Number 9337) Walden University]. Minneapolis, MN. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/9337

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Clark, K. A., White Hughto, J. M., & Pachankis, J. E. (2017). “What’s the right thing to do?” Correctional healthcare providers’ knowledge, attitudes and experiences caring for transgender inmates. Social Science & Medicine (1982), 193, 80–89. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2017.09.052

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White Hughto, J. M., Clark, K. A., Altice, F. L., Reisner, S. L., Kershaw, T. S., & Pachankis, J. E. (2017). Improving correctional healthcare providers’ ability to care for transgender patients: Development and evaluation of a theory-driven cultural and clinical competence intervention. Social Science & Medicine (1982), 195, 159–169. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2017.10.004

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Marlow, K., Winder, B., & Elliott, H. J. (2015). Working with transgendered sex offenders: Prison staff experiences. Journal of Forensic Practice, 17(3), 241–254. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFP-02-2015-0013

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Matarese, M., Aaron Betsinger, S., & Weeks, A. (2023). The influence of juvenile justice workforce’s knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs on behaviors toward youth with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities, and expressions. Children and Youth Services Review, 148, 106917. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2023.106917

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Walker, T. (2020). Identifying what hinders effective interactions between correctional staff and transgender juvenile offenders (Publication Number 9008) Walden University]. Minneapolis, MN. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/9008

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