Beauty influencer Nikita Dragun spent roughly two days in Miami-Dade custody in November 2022 after an arrest at The Goodtime Hotel, and the Nikita Dragun jail episode became a public dispute over where a transgender detainee should be housed. She was booked on a felony battery charge and misdemeanor disorderly conduct, held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, and released on November 9, 2022.
What Happened at The Goodtime Hotel
Miami Beach police were called to The Goodtime Hotel on Washington Avenue on the evening of November 7, 2022, after hotel security reported a disorderly guest. The arrest affidavit says Dragun had been walking around the pool area unclothed and threw water at a staffer who confronted her.1NBC News. Nikita Dragun Arrested at Miami Hotel
Officers went to her room and heard loud music inside. After they identified themselves and knocked, Dragun opened the door. A security guard told her she could be escorted off the property. She shut the door, reopened it, and asked, “Do you want more?” before swinging an open water bottle toward the officers and staff. The affidavit states the water hit and spilled on both a security guard and one of the police officers.1NBC News. Nikita Dragun Arrested at Miami Hotel
The Charges
Dragun was booked at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center just before 10:00 p.m. The felony count, battery on a law enforcement officer under Florida Statute 784.07, is a third-degree felony carrying up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. Disorderly conduct under Florida Statute 877.03 is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 60 days in jail. She was also cited for a municipal ordinance violation.1NBC News. Nikita Dragun Arrested at Miami Hotel An arraignment was set for December 7, 2022.2KUOW. A Transgender Beauty Influencer Was Put in a Mens Jail After Her Arrest in Miami
The Dispute Over Men’s Housing
At bond court, Dragun asked the judge, “Do I have to stay here in the men’s unit still?” The judge replied, “Yeah, I don’t make the rules up there.”3Time. Nikita Dragun Arrested in Miami
Jack Ketsoyan of Full Scope Public Relations, representing Dragun, called the placement “extremely disturbing and dangerous.” He said Dragun is legally female and that housing her in a men’s unit “directly violates [the Miami-Dade County Corrections Department’s] protocol, which mandates that transgender inmates are classified and housed based on safety needs and gender identity.”4NBC News. Nikita Dragun Held in Mens Jail After Miami Arrest
Miami-Dade Corrections rejected that version. Spokesperson Juan Diasgranados said Dragun “never made it beyond the booking process prior to release; therefore, she was never placed in a men’s unit.” He said all inmates in intake remain in an “open seating (open booking) area” supervised by correctional staff, that Dragun was placed in a holding cell by herself because of her “high-profile status,” and that she was escorted by an LGBTQ officer throughout her time at the facility. The department said its procedures for the intake and housing of transgender inmates had been followed.5NBC Miami. Officials Dispute Account, Say Transgender Influencer Nikita Dragun Was Never in Mens Jail6Local 10 News. Officials Dispute Account, Say Transgender Influencer Nikita Dragun Was Never in Mens Jail
Release
Dragun was released on Wednesday, November 9, 2022. Reports differed on the terms. NBC News reported she was released on her own recognizance with no bail required; other outlets reported a $2,000 bond.4NBC News. Nikita Dragun Held in Mens Jail After Miami Arrest
Miami-Dade’s Transgender Housing Policy
The policy at the center of the dispute is DSOP No. 18-017, in effect since December 28, 2009. It directs housing assignments based on “housing availability, safety/security needs, his/her gender identity and genitalia.” It also sets a bright-line rule: inmates with male genitalia are assigned to male housing, and those with female genitalia are assigned to female housing.7Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Department. DSOP No. 18-017 LGBTI Policy
A Transgender Committee of medical and mental health personnel and a supervisor reviews each case to set a permanent housing assignment, weighing vulnerability to victimization. Inmates can be placed in administrative confinement while that review is pending. Staff are required to use preferred gender-specific identifiers and avoid demeaning language.7Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Department. DSOP No. 18-017 LGBTI Policy Because Dragun was released during booking, that review process never began in her case, according to the department.