The State of Indiana will have to pay for gender-affirming surgery of a transgender inmate who killed a baby.
United States District Court Judge Richard Young ruled that Autumn Cordellioné, who was born Jonathan C. Richardson, had been subjected to ‘cruel and unusual punishment’ after being denied surgery to reaffirm her gender, according to the ACLU, who filed the suit.
Young ordered the Department of Corrections must provide Cordellioné the surgery at the earliest opportunity.
‘Today marks a significant victory for transgender individuals in Indiana’s prisons,’ ACLU of Indiana’s Legal Director, Ken Falk, said in a statement. ‘Denying evidence-based medical care to incarcerated people simply because they are transgender is unconstitutional. We are pleased that the Court agreed.’
The transgender inmate is currently serving a 55-year prison sentence for killing a baby.
She admitted to killing ‘the little f**king b**ch’ after she was arrested for the strangulation death of her 11-month-old stepdaughter.
United States District Court Judge Richard Young ruled that Autumn Cordellioné, who was born Jonathan C. Richardson, had been subjected to ‘cruel and unusual punishment’ after being denied surgery to reaffirm her gender
Young (pictured) found that the surgery was ‘medically necessary,’ and Indiana must provide the surgery to the inmate at the earliest opportunity
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Young found that the surgery was ‘medically necessary,’ and denying her the medical care violated her Eighth and Fourteenth Amendment rights, according to court documents.
The Eighth Amendment protects citizens from cruel punishments, while the Fourteenth provides equal protection to all citizens under the law.
‘Ms. Cordellioné has shown that injunctive relief is necessary,’ the judge wrote. ‘There is no dispute that gender dysphoria is a serious medical condition under the objective prong.’
Young said Cordellioné was at a ‘substantial risk of irreparable injury absent of injunctive relief’ and without surgery, she may engage in self-harm, including ‘another attempt to castrate herself or to die by suicide,’ court documents said.
‘The evidence shows that she faces serious risks of severe bodily and psychological harm absent injunctive relief,’ the judge wrote.
Cordellioné suffers from depression and borderline personality disorder as well.
The inmate has been evaluated by doctors to determine her need for the surgery, which Young stated is ‘medically necessary to alleviate the serious and debilitating symptoms of her gender dysphoria.’
‘It is appropriate for the court to order at this point that this surgery be provided to her at the earliest opportunity,’ Young wrote.
‘Today marks a significant victory for transgender individuals in Indiana’s prisons,’ ACLU of Indiana’s Legal Director, Ken Falk, (pictured) said in a statement
Young also said he was aware finding a surgeon to preform the risky surgery on the inmate ‘may take time’ as the state may have to hire a doctor who is not affiliated with the DOC.
While incarcerated at the Correctional Industrial Facility in Madison, Cordellioné began identifying as transgender and started taking synthetic estrogen and an anti-androgen spironolactone, which stops male hormones from working, according to Reduxx.
Cordellioné has requested surgery that would build her a vagina, as well as, getting breast implants, a brow lift and reduction, a tummy tuck, gluteal implants, uterus transplant, hair removal, and wigs, according to Reduxx.
Despite the complete makeover request, Young is only demanding an orchiectomy, which removes the testicles, and a vaginoplasty, which constructs a vagina.
Cordellioné is also involved in another lawsuit as she identifies as Muslim and has sued for being denied an hijab by the prison chaplain.
She is currently being held in at New Castle Correctional Annex, a male prison. She is projected to be released from prison as early as August 27, 2026
Cordellioné is seeking $150,000 in damages and the ability to wear the hijab ‘anywhere I go within the facility.’
‘I informed him that I wear the hajib [sic] in order to cover my head and ears for modesty purposes, as I am an Islamic practicing transwoman,’ Cordellioné explained in the suit filed on November 30.
According to the lawsuit, the chaplain stated Cordellioné listed religious preference was ‘Wiccan,’ a pagan Earth-centered religion with a male god and moon goddess, not Islam.
Cordellioné was convicted of killing her stepdaughter by strangling her to death in September 2001.
The killer initially told police that she found the victim in a crib and the baby had vomit coming from her mouth. Cordellioné later admitted the child was fussy and she had tried to calm her down.
It was later determined the little girl died from manual strangulation.
In 2002, Cordellioné was sentenced to 55 years in prison. She is currently being held in at New Castle Correctional Annex, a male prison.
She is projected to be released from prison as early as August 27, 2026, according to prison records.