One of the byproducts of the discrimination of the trans population is that it makes them more vulnerable to arrest, them webmagazine reports. Trans women are more likely than the general population to be unemployed and live in poverty, both risk factors for engaging in illegal activity. Finding traditional employment can be challenging. As a result, struggling trans women may turn to sex work in desperation to support themselves. Trans women are also frequently targeted by police, who often incorrectly assume they are engaging in sex work simply for appearing to be trans while walking down the street.

According to a joint study by the National Center for Transgender Equality and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, 21% of all trans women have been incarcerated at some point in their lives compared to a 5% incarceration rate among the general population — that stat jumps to an astonishing 47% for black trans women. With such a high likelihood of facing prison time, the issue of where to house trans women is extremely critical.

Read the full story: The Dire Realities of Being a Trans Woman in a Men’s Prison