Congratulations to Emancipate NC’s client, Ashlee Inscoe! Last week the Wake County Superior Court ordered the North Carolina prison system to transfer Ashlee to a women’s prison. This marks the first court order of its kind in the state’s history and a step further in enshrining rights for trans people in North Carolina. We also extend our congratulations to Ashlee’s legal team, including Emancipate’s Strategic Director Elizabeth Simpson, as well as UNC Law Civil Clinic students Robin Bleiweis and Eli Longnecker.
“It just seems like every time that I got to one barrier and tried to cross it, as soon as I got across, there was another one,” Inscoe told The News & Observer on Wednesday, reflecting on the lengthy journey she had to endure to reach a point where she finally can be in the correct facility.
Ashlee has been incarcerated at the men’s prison Nash Correctional Institution in Nashville, NC, and struggled to advocate for herself through the prison system’s grievance process, and the courts have been filled with stress and uncertainty. Judge Shirley’s ruling provided immense relief for Ashlee, her family, and her advocates. Judge Shirley ordered for Ashlee’s transfer to one of the state’s women’s prisons within 14 days.