Gender Reassignment Surgery for Inmates at the Taxpayer's Expense

All citizens have the unalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, but what happens when a citizen commits a heinous act such as murder? Should the pursuit of their happiness be granted even though they took the life of another? Are we as a society to take their feelings into consideration and grant them the right to live their life as they wish? A major issue within the United States is the healthcare programs for inmates. One of the largest disputes when it comes to medical treatments/surgeries within the penal system is the sexual reassignment of inmates with gender dysphoria. It is reported that as of 2007 there are 750 inmates that are requesting gender reassignment surgeries (Brotheim, 2013). If polled today, some would say that a gender reassignment surgery at the tax payer’s expense is a frivolous waste of money. Some might even become infuriated at the thought of a non-law abiding citizen, one that has been deemed by society as someone who should be removed from the general public, most definitely does not deserve to receive this surgery. The states should not be liable to conduct gender reassignment surgeries for inmates with gender dysphoria, because of cost, the uncertainty that of the curability of this disorder, safety of the incarcerated offender and the moral dilemma of punishment versus privilege.
Gender Dysphoria- formally known as Gender Identity Disorder (GID) is “a persistent unease with having the physical characteristics of one's gender, accompanied by a strong identification with the opposite gender and a desire to live as or to become a member of the opposite gender” (Dorland's Medical Dictionary for Health Consumers, 2007). In accordance with the Standards for Treatment of Prisoners,...

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