Krishnamoorthi, McBath, Scott, and Randall Demand DOJ Restore Critical Protections Against Prison Rape for Transgender and Intersex Inmates

WASHINGTON — Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi joined Representatives Lucy McBath, Bobby Scott, and Emily Randall in demanding that Attorney General Pam Bondi immediately rescind a Department of Justice directive that weakens protections against sexual violence for transgender and intersex people in correctional facilities.In a letter sent today, the lawmakers warned that the Department’s December 2025 memo directing Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) auditors to stop applying standards designed to protect transgender and intersex inmates “undermines critical safeguards established to prevent sexual abuse in correctional facilities, places countless people at risk, and violates the PREA law.”

The letter, led by Krishnamoorthi, underscores that PREA was enacted to “establish a zero-tolerance standard for the incidence of prison rape in prisons in the United States” and argues that the Department’s current policy directly conflicts with both the law and its own data showing that transgender inmates face dramatically higher rates of sexual victimization.

“PREA clearly establishes that no one who is incarcerated should experience sexual violence, yet the Department of Justice is actively telling auditors to ignore regulations that help minimize the risk that transgender and intersex inmates experience sexual violence,” the members wrote.

The lawmakers called on the Department to reverse the memo immediately and fully enforce the 2012 PREA regulations, including protections for transgender, intersex, and other LGBTQ+ inmates.

“We urge you to rescind the Department’s December 2, 2025 memo and ensure that all covered facilities are fully complying with the 2012 regulations and doing everything in their power to protect against sexual victimization in prison facilities, including protecting transgender and intersex inmates,” the letter states.

In addition to demanding the memo’s withdrawal, the members requested a briefing within 30 days on the legal basis for the Department’s directive and the specific steps it is taking to protect incarcerated individuals from sexual abuse.

The letter from the members is available here.