Manning's Sex Reassignment: Possible in Prison?

The attorney for Army Pvt. Chelsea Manning (formerly known as Bradley Manning) said Thursday that his client wants to undergo sexual reassignment therapy to live as a woman while serving her 35-year sentence for leaking classified documents about U.S. intelligence across the globe.

But would the Army allow one of its prisoners to change gender? For now, the answer is no. But legal experts say the case is could be decided in the same place where Manning spent the last several months trying to clear her name: a courtroom.

"The Army does not provide hormone therapy or sex-reassignment surgery," said an Army spokesman at the Pentagon in an emailed statement to Discovery News. "All inmates are considered soldiers and are treated as such with access to mental health professionals, including a psychiatrist, psychologist, social workers and behavioral science non-commissioned officers with experience in addressing the needs of military personnel in pre- and post-trial confinement." Read more...