Transgender women with a history of violence against women and girls will not be held in female prisons – unless there is “compelling evidence” they do not present a risk, a new policy has stated. The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) has published its Policy for the Management of Transgender People in Custody. No transgender woman with a history of violence against women and girls (VAWG) can currently be housed in the female prison estate. The interim arrangements for admission were introduced earlier this year following a public outcry over the controversial Isla Bryson case – which saw a transgender woman initially placed in a female-only prison after being found guilty of raping two women. The interim approach will continue until the new policy officially comes into force on 26 February 2024.