NCJ Number
77430
Date Published
Unknown
Length
17 pages
Annotation
Results are reported from a study that investigated differences between female inmates with homosexual patterns and those with heterosexual patterns.
Abstract
A total of 17 homosexual female prisoners and 17 heterosexual female prisoners were selected from a population of 76 inmates of the Iowa State Women's Reformatory at Rockwell City, Iowa. Criteria for inclusion in the homosexual group were discovery, through a counseling relationship, of participation in overt homosexual acts while incarcerated; reports of other prisoners and prison personnel about the homosexual behavior of the persons in question; and admittance within a counseling relationship regarding active seeking of homosexual experiences during incarceration. Criteria for inclusion in the heterosexual group involved a statement of having no homosexual inclinations, no evidence of homosexual activity in prison records, and never known to have participated in overt homosexual behavior while incarcerated. A total of 55 variables were selected for description of the subjects, using the following instruments: 13 scores of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), 10 scores of the Kuder Preference Record Form CH, 3 scores of the Wide Range Achievement Test, the intelligence quotient measured by the Otis Quick Scoring Mental Ability Test, 6 variables consisting of yes-no answers to a series of questions, and 22 variables selected from the biographical data of prison files. The most striking differences between the groups were found in the MMPI profiles. The scores indicated that the heterosexuals had more adjustment problems than homosexuals while in prison. The MMPI may be more sensitive to those persons who have not acted out their sexual frustrations in a direct manner. Thus, in the prison situation, the homosexual woman may be more adjusted to her environment in that she has found the means for a more direct expression of a biological drive than the heterosexual woman. Although none of the variables used in this study seemed to differentiate the homosexual group from the heterosexual group to a degree high enough for individual diagnosis, other psychological devices may discriminate differences to a higher degree. Tabular and graphic data are provided, along with 15 references.