The Trans Experience With the Criminal Legal System

Abstract

In this article, I review the literature on trans people’s experiences with the criminal legal system using an intersectional lens to highlight how their multiple marginalized identities shape their treatment by criminal legal actors. The literature suggests that the intersectional contexts of trans people’s experiences must be considered and recognized when seeking to understand and apply this knowledge to improve interactions with the legal system, either in terms of victimization or system-involvement. An intersectional approach may not explain the full extent of trans people’s experiences. Still, it provides a glimpse into the multiplicative effects overlapping forms of oppression have on trans people’s daily lives and, subsequently, their system involvement.