A transgender prisoner put in a mainstream detention facility did physical training in prison to ward off attacks by fellow inmates.
Eringa Hoto, 50, of Whangarei, has welcomed a move by Corrections to introduce a more flexible prison system where transgender inmates would be able to request a transfer to another prison which matched their identified sex instead of that shown on their birth certificate.
The change followed a request from the Ombudsman, and was designed to improve prisoners' welfare while reducing the risks of victimisation and assault.
The Corrections chief executive would consider each request for a transfer on a case-by-case basis, and the policy would not apply to transgender prisoners with a record of serious sexual offences.
Ms Hoto, a pre-operation transgender who identifies as a female, was released from Auckland's Paremoremo Prison in 1994 after being sentenced to 12 years on an assault charge but has been in and out of remand centres since.
She lately served home detention on another assault charge.
"A lot of people like me are segregated in prison and I think it's really sad that we have to go there (mainstream prison) because we constantly get disrespectful treatment from some inmates as well as prison staff," she said.
"In the 12 years I was in jail, there was no real change in their behaviour and there would still be inmates like me who are not treated with the respect they deserve. When I went to prison, I didn't want to be segregated and hence abused, so I trained hard to become strong so that others wouldn't hit me or pick on me.
"That helped to keep people away and I got respect from some."
Ms Hoto said not all transgender prisoners were treated badly as those who behaved well were generally safe.
At present, there are nine transgender inmates in New Zealand jails.
The last known transgender to be sentenced by Northland courts was Glen Cooper, who was sentenced last December in the Whangarei District Court to two years and one month in jail after she pleaded guilty to a charge of wounding with intent to injure.
At her sentencing, Judge Duncan Harvey described Corrections Department policy relating to the treatment of transgender prisoners in jail as "appalling".
The judge said he recognised the difficulties Cooper would have in serving her sentence in a men's prison and that she would not be able to be diagnosed.
Transgender Whangarei lawyer and member of the group TransAdvocates Kelly Ellis welcomed the latest initiative, saying she had been fighting for five years to stop transgender prisoners suffering terribly in jails. Ms Ellis said credit must go to Judge Harvey, who dealt with Cooper in a considerate way.
Agender Northland, a social group of transgender people in the region, is also pleased with the latest government announcement, saying the change would create a more secure environment for transgender prisoners.