Mia Bailey initially housed with men in prison after Utah murder convictions

SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — Mia Bailey, a transgender woman who pleaded guilty to killing both her parents, will be housed in a men’s housing unit, at least initially.

A Utah Department of Corrections spokesperson said Bailey will be in the intake unit while various needs are assessed, adding that it can take a few weeks to make the housing assignment, depending on availability within the unit that best fits the person’s needs.

Under a Utah law that took effect in May 2024, UDC is required to assign inmates to housing units based on their biological sex at birth, not gender identity, as a default rule.

The law does allow for an exception in cases for transgender inmates to request to be housed in a living area that does not match their biological sex at birth, only after a detailed, individualized security analysis.

That analysis must consider the inmate’s anatomy, physical characteristics, criminal history, past behavior while in custody, and whether the inmate has a history of predatory or violent behavior. It also must be determined that the placement poses a low risk to others and to the inmate, does not disrupt facility operations, and is not being sought solely to change housing assignments.

If at any point that placement is found to create safety or security issues, the inmate must be reassigned back to housing that corresponds with their biological sex at birth.

The Utah Department of Corrections currently houses other transgender inmates, according to a department spokesperson.

Bailey was given two consecutive sentences of 25 years to life earlier this month after previously pleading guilty to killing her parents.

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