BOISE — A federal judge has ordered the state not to delay providing gender reassignment surgery for an inmate convicted of sexually abusing a child under 16.
United States District Court Judge B. Lynn Winmill denied Monday the Idaho Department of Correction motion to delay giving Adree Edmo, 31, gender reassignment surgery. IDOC has until June 13 to give Edmo the Surgery.
“There is a substantial risk that Ms. Edmo will make a third attempt to self-castrate if the (IDOC) continue to deny her gender confirmation surgery. In short, her medical needs are urgent,” Winmill wrote in his decision.
In January, Governor Brad Little announced IDOC’s decision to appeal Winmill’s order to provide the surgery.
Judge orders state to give inmate gender reassignment surgery
“The hardworking taxpayers of Idaho should not be forced to pay for a prisoner’s gender reassignment surgery when individual insurance plans won’t cover it,” Little said in a news release at the time. “We cannot divert critical public dollars away from our focus on keeping the public save and rehabilitating offenders.”
Winmill said in its appeal, IDOC simply rehashed arguments made during the three-day evidentiary hearing held when Edmo filed suit.
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“The Court was unpersuaded by the arguments then, and remains so now,” Winmill wrote. “The Court is firmly convinced that its decision is supported by the fact and law presented during the hearing.”
Edmo was convicted of sexually abusing a child under 16 in Bannock County. She has been housed in the men’s prison since 2012 and is due to finish her sentence in 2021.
Edmo will be the first inmate to undergo gender reassignment surgery in Idaho.