Court Orders Indiana to Fund Inmate's Surgery

A federal judge has ruled that the Indiana Department of Corrections must provide gender-affirming surgery to Autumn Cordellione, a transgender inmate serving a 55-year sentence for murdering her 11-month-old stepdaughter. The ruling deemed Indiana's 2023 law banning such surgeries in prisons unconstitutional, citing the Eighth Amendment's prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment and the Fourteenth Amendment’s equal protection clause. The ACLU of Indiana, which filed the lawsuit, argued that denying this care amounted to cruel and unusual punishment. Judge Richard Young's decision highlights that gender dysphoria is a serious medical condition requiring appropriate treatment, including surgery. The ruling has been celebrated by advocates for transgender rights as a significant victory. The Indiana Department of Corrections has not commented on pending litigation.