A federal appeals court has upheld Kentucky’s law banning taxpayer-funded, “gender transition” procedures for prison inmates. The ruling affirms the state’s right to prioritize legitimate medical care over experimental or elective procedures—especially when they raise serious moral and ethical concerns. While advocates claim the ban denies essential treatment, the law simply reflects common sense: incarceration entails loss of certain privileges. And being jailed is not a license to demand costly elective surgeries of questionable medical integrity at public expense. The federal court ruling safeguards both fiscal responsibility and moral clarity. It reminds us that compassion and accountability are not opposites, but rather they must coexist when the state stewards taxpayer dollars and upholds the integrity of public institutions.