Records from the Wisconsin Department of Corrections (DOC) have shown that slightly over half of the male inmates who identify as transgender women have been convicted of at least one count of sexual assault or sexual abuse.
The information was obtained by The Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project through a public records request submitted in April 2022, with the investigation being spawned by the burgeoning number of male inmates who expressed a desire to be transferred to female prisons based on their transgender identification.
Mike Howell, the director of the Oversight Project, commented, “Men belong with men and men only in prison.” He continued, “Putting sex offender men claiming to be women in cells with women is another reason the world laughs at America’s moral decline. Prison is for punishment, not degenerate sexual behavior.”
As of the end of July, of the 161 male inmates in Wisconsin DOC facilities who identified as transgender, 81 (representing 50.3 percent) had a conviction for at least one count of sexual assault or abuse, though many of these prisoners may have been convicted of other offenses, such as sexual exploitation of a child, rape, incest, and more.
The Wisconsin DOC was reticent in providing details about whether biologically male inmates are placed in female prisons. When The Daily Signal, the Heritage Foundation’s media outlet, reached out for clarity, Deputy Director of Communications Kevin Hoffman directed them to the Wisconsin DOC’s policy index rather than giving a direct answer.
A particular case raised in this context was that of Mark Campbell, now known as Nicole Campbell, a biological male who identifies as female. Campbell was convicted of the rape of his daughter and received a 34-year sentence.
In December 2020, a federal judge allowed Campbell to undergo taxpayer-funded transition surgery and potentially be transferred to a female prison during the surgery waiting period. However, it remains uncertain where Campbell is currently housed. Wisconsin DOC records list a “Mark A. Campbell” born in 1971 with a status indicating he’s “no longer under DOC supervision.”
