In Minnesota, transgender woman CeCe McDonald was released from prison Jan. 13, according to MSNBC.
McDonald pled guilty to second-degree manslaughter in the death of Dean Schmitz in June 2011 in Minneapolis, and was sentenced to 41 months. McDonald said she acted in self-defense after being verbally and physically assaulted while walking to a 24-hour grocery store late at night.
Trans actress/activist Laverne Cox ( Orange Is the New Black ) met McDonald after she was released, The Huffington Post noted.
Cox is working on a documentary, Free CeCe, in order to heighten visibility and awareness surrounding McDonald's case; her experiences while incarcerated in a men's prison; and the larger implications of her case for the transgender community.
In a statement, The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs celebrated McDonald's release.
"CeCe McDonald is a living exhibition in resilience, beauty and power. She is also a living example of injustice in our culture," said writer/advocate Janet Mock. "When a woman is attacked for merely being herself and sent to prison for daring to survive, we send a message that some lives matter more than others. CeCe McDonaldand our sisters and siblings who continue fighting backremind us daily that our lives are worth fighting for, and that most of all, we matter."