San Francisco, Sep 27 (IANS): California Governor has signed a law to allow trangender inmates to be places in prison cells according to their gender identity.

According to the law signed on Saturday, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) will now house inmates based on their gender identity rather than their sex assigned at birth, The Hill news website reported.

Officers will be requited to ask inmates privately during the intake process if they identify as transgender, non-binary or intersex.

After this, the inmates can request to be placed in a facility that houses either men or women.

In a statement, Newsom said: "California has some of the strongest pro LGBTQ+ laws in the nation and with the bills signed today, our march toward equality takes an additional step forward.

"These new laws will help us better understand the impacts of Covid-19 on the LGBTQ+ community, establish a new fund to support our transgender sisters and brothers and advance inclusive and culturally competent efforts that uphold the dignity of all Californians, regardless of who you are or who you love."

Similar laws for the protection of trangender inmates have been implemented in Rhode Island, New York City and Massachusetts.