An NPR-affiiated public broadcaster has released a sympathetic profile on a trans-identified male inmate accused of sexual assault and threatening female inmates while serving his sentence in a women’s prison. KQED, the member station for NPR and PBS in Northern California, suggested Syiaah Skylit was a victim of transphobic hoaxes and targeted punishment.
Skylit, born Jonathan Robertson, is currently serving a 16-year sentence on multiple counts of robbery with a gun. While he had initially been placed in a men’s prison, Skylit, along with the help of trans activists, fought for transfer to a women’s facility, and was eventually placed at the California Central Women’s Facility (CCWF) in mid-2021.
Skylit was one of many male inmates who were transferred to CCWF following the implementation of SB 132, also known as the Transgender Respect, Agency, and Dignity Act.
The bill went into effect in January of 2021, and allowed male inmates to seek transfer to women’s prisons on the basis of self-declared gender identity. Under the law, male inmates do not have to be on hormones, have surgery, be diagnosed with gender dysphoria, or even have legal documents stating they have a transgender status in order to be approved for transfer.
But despite a number of violent male inmates having been moved into women’s prisons in the state, KQED released a sympathetic profile denouncing alleged human rights violations committed against the male transfers. In some instances, female inmates are painted as aggressors towards the men.
Published on October 13, the article, titled “California Prisons Fail to Uphold Transgender Rights Despite State Law,” focuses on the plight of transgender inmates in the state. It received high praise from Scott Weiner, the co-author of SB 132, who shared it on social media.
Though multiple male inmates are mentioned, a particular emphasis is placed on Skylit and his alleged victimization at the hands of transphobic staff and female inmates.
The article notes how Skylit first came out as gay and then later as trans once in the prison system, which resulted in him being moved to some safer trans and general “LGBT” units called “alternative lifestyles tanks.” Skylit was also provided with cross sex hormones, feminine clothing and mental health services in 2018.
Despite this, he was still unhappy that he had to interact with other male inmates in common areas and began petitioning to be moved to a female prison in 2018. Following the passing of SB-132, Skylit was moved to the women’s estate.
But shortly after his transfer, Skylit became the subject of a sexual assault allegation.
As previously reported by Reduxx, a female inmate provided a sworn declaration of having been an eyewitness to the aftermath of the alleged assault. Mimi Le, a representative of the Inmates Advisory Council, gave a declaration to Women’s Liberation Front lawyers reporting that Skylit had assaulted a vulnerable female inmate before threatening to rape other female inmates who confronted him.
Le explains that on May 19, 2022, a female inmate was taken to a medical-administrative building in the facility by staff after other female inmates reported that she had been raped. Le describes personally witnessing the woman “barely conscious” as she was attended to and that less than one hour later, she was taken out of her cell on a stretcher under a Code 3 medical alert – one that signifies an inmate is unresponsive and unable to be revived using immediate methods. The next day, Le says she was told by multiple inmates that the woman had been sexually assaulted by Skylit in a yard port-a-potty.
Skylit denies raping the female inmate, claiming he followed her into a port-a-potty after she fell ill from consuming alcohol with him. The alleged victim, Asia Davis, is reportedly known for having substance abuse issues and has denied the assault.
Le reveals in her declaration that she attempted to establish contact with correctional staff in an attempt to clarify details about the alleged rape. While walking to the administrative program building, she witnessed Skylit being taken in handcuffs, and learned quickly that it was because he had launched into a violent tirade against women inmates who had confronted him about the sexual assault after seeing Davis in a unresponsive state.
In their sympathetic profile of Skylit, KQED admits that guards reported Skylit threatening the female inmates, but claims he was not the instigator of the situation. In their article, they provide a silent video showing Skylit being confronted by a group of women, and represent it as “evidence” that the female inmates had attacked Skylit but that he “had been the only one punished.”
According to Mimi Le, Skylit had spit at some female inmates, and multiple women have confirmed he shouted: “Fuck all you bitches. I’ll rape you. I’ll rape your mama. I’ll fuck all you bitches up… There is nothing you bitches can do.”
The officer who intervened during the altercation supported the women’s story, stating Skylit was “referring to sexual intercourse through rape.”
Shortly after the threats were recorded, Skylit was hastily moved to the California Institution for Women — a lower security women’s correctional facility.
Despite the declaration and supporting testimonies, KQED called the rape allegations “false” and accused Women’s Liberation Front (WoLF) of “looking for a villain” to fit their narrative. WoLF is currently suing the state of California on behalf of multiple female inmates who were victimized by SB 132.
In addition to dismissing the assault allegations against Skylit, KQED argued that it was common for female inmates to lie about sexual assault and rape, and that trans-identified male inmates are often the target of such false allegations. They also argue that female inmates have approached trans-identified males for sex, and falsely accuse them of rape if their advances are rejected.
However, data demonstrates that trans-identified male inmates have a high rate of convictions for sexual offenses.
According to the Bureau of Prisons (BoP), almost 50% of trans-identified male federal inmates are in custody for sex offenses, compared to just 11% of the general male population. In California, 33.8% of trans-identified males seeking transfer to women’s prisons are registered sex offenders.
The BoP has previously confirmed that inmates with existing sex offenses are responsible for up to 50% of rapes that occur within the prison system.
While KQED‘s article suggests female inmates in California have power over the trans-identified males, incarcerated women in California have painted a very different story. Female inmates who criticize gender self-identification policy or complain about the conduct of the male transfers have claimed they were subjected to “punishment” for vocalizing their concerns.
Speaking to Reduxx last year, one inmate described being placed in solitary confinement for an extended period of time after attempting to report a 6′ tall male inmate to prison authorities for sexual harassment.
In protest, Sagal Sadiq went on a 28-day-long hunger strike, and was ultimately hospitalized after falling ill due to the physical impacts of starvation.
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