HB 796 would amend multiple Revised Code sections to require that inmates and prisoners be housed "in accordance with their biological sex" as defined elsewhere in Ohio law (RC 3129.01). This codifies rigid placement rules that override individualized safety assessments.
This bill is directly relevant to transgender incarcerated people — especially trans women currently housed in women's facilities or those whose placement was determined through individualized assessment. Codifying sex-at-birth placement removes the ability of correctional authorities to make safety-based housing decisions even when they identify safer alternatives.