A federal judge has ordered the Indiana Department of Corrections to provide gender-affirming surgery to Autumn Cordellione, a transgender inmate serving a 55-year sentence for murdering her 11-month-old stepdaughter. This ruling, issued by Judge Richard Young, comes despite Indiana's 2023 law restricting public funds for such surgeries, citing violations of the Eighth Amendment's prohibition against 'cruel and unusual punishment' and the Fourteenth Amendment's equal protection clause. The ACLU, which filed the lawsuit, hailed the decision as a significant victory for transgender rights in prison, emphasizing that denying medically necessary care based on gender identity is unconstitutional. The court affirmed the medical consensus that gender-affirming surgery is necessary for individuals with gender dysphoria. The Indiana Department of Corrections has not commented on the ruling, and the case highlights ongoing debates about the treatment of transgender inmates in correctional facilities.