An Indiana prison must provide transgender surgery to an inmate convicted of killing a baby, a federal judge ruled last week.
Jonathan C. Richardson, who now identifies as female and goes by Autumn Cordellionè, was convicted in 2001 of fatally strangling his 11-month-old stepdaughter. He is currently serving 55 years behind bars for reckless homicide.
In August of last year, the American Civil Liberties Union sued the Indiana Department of Corrections on behalf of Cordellioné, demanding the prison system pay for his transgender genital surgery.
An Indiana law that took effect last year prevents taxpayer dollars from going toward transgender surgeries for prison inmates. The ACLU argued the law violates the Constitution’s ban on “cruel and unusual punishment” because the surgery is a “medical necessity” for Cordellioné.
Last week, United States District Court Judge Richard Young sided with the ACLU and handed Cordellioné a win.
“Specifically, Ms. Cordellioné has shown that her gender dysphoria is a serious medical need, and that, despite other treatments Defendant has provided her to treat her gender dysphoria, she requires gender-affirming surgery to prevent a risk of serious bodily and psychological harm,” the judge wrote in his ruling.