The deadline for the first grievance appeal is approaching, I am dealing with some of the fallout of my grievances. For those unfamiliar, Reagan’s PLRA requires that I exhaust administrative remedies prior to my lawsuit. There are two stages of the grievance appeal process, then I’m done as far as I’m aware. The administration has been delaying responses nearly the full 30 days, I am expecting to be done with my 2nd appeal by early December.

I’m not expecting to accomplish anything in filing grievances, despite making the prison aware they are violating the law. Rather, I’m expecting to experience retaliation as a result of this being the obvious precursor to a lawsuit. Again, I am already dealing with such to an extent.

If they don’t respond to my grievance appeal by the deadline, I will likely file my tort claim and habeas corpus shortly thereafter.

I do not have an attorney, however I am preparing to go pro se if need be and am filing a motion for court appointed counsel to prevent this. I’ve read several thousand pages of case law at this point, pertaining to transgender rights. Worst case, I can say I tried.

The ACLU typed up my habeas petition but will not be representing me. The OJRC typed me a similar habeas petition, and similarly refused to represent me, but I chose to use the ACLU’s packet on account of the superior structuring and more space to assert my claims on the packet itself.

Feel free to continue advocating for lawyers to take my case. Please, call them or someshit. Being in prison limits my ability to convince them, I likely need outside advocacy to share the pain I’m experiencing, to humanize me, and to make representing me feel worthwhile. As is, I’m just another prisoner to every lawyer I write.

Its pretty cut and dry, the Edmo v. Corizon inc. decision did a lot of the legwork, I have already had therapists affirm my medical need for various surgeries which should be the only criterion used to decide if I should receive them. Obviously, I do not have these surgeries even on the table. Gender affirming surgeries, for trans women, are largely still blanket banned (vaginoplasty exempt, but vaginoplasty is de facto banned regardless). The 8th and 14th amendment are my main contentions, for obvious reasons.

I am frustrated, alone, and struggling. I just want to transition, truthfully. It shouldn’t be so fucking hard for the DoC to take orders from a medical professional.

Yours,
Candle