Cruel and Unusual (2006)

Imagine being a woman in a men's prison. For many individuals, this is a grim reality because the U.S. prison system decides where to place inmates based on their genitalia, not their gender identity. This award-winning documentary makes an unflinching examination of transgender women in men's prisons. Ashley, Linda, Anna, Yolanda and Ophelia describe their experiences undergoing inhumane and humiliating treatment including rape, violence, solitary confinement and denial of medial care. One interviewee explains. "A lot of times I wake up, and I look around at my surroundings, and I see all these men. I think, 'What am I doing here?'" The women in Cruel and Unusual don't deny that they must serve their sentences, but their stories raise very important questions about their treatment. Are the human rights of these women and many others across the United States violated? If Gender Identity Disorder is a recognized condition by the American Psychiatric Association, should inmates receive therapy for it in prison? If therapy consists of counseling, female hormones, and in some cases, sexual reassignment surgery, how far should prisons go? Despite their crimes, Cruel and Unusual asks if the punishment these individuals receive is indeed cruel and unusual and a violation of their Eighth Amendment Constitutional protection.