NCJ Number
146172
Journal
Corrective and Social Psychiatry and Journal of Behavior Technology Methods and Therapy Volume: 38 Issue: 1 Dated: (January 1992) Pages: 5-8
Date Published
1992
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article discusses how prison conditions may variously affect inmates' sexual behavior in prison.
Abstract
The environmental stimuli that affect sexual behavior in prison are different from those that affect sexual behavior in the inmates' "home world." The phenomenon of incarceration, especially within the United States penal system, involves a process whereby either aberrant sexual acts are suppressed (or masked), or the opposite occurs; that is, latent sexual deviance surfaces within the penal milieu. The penal milieu tends to shield the dangerous sexual offender from home-world stimuli that fuel the deviant sexual behaviors. On the other hand, stressors associated with the penal milieu may exacerbate sexual behavior among nonsexual offenders. These are seuxal acts not likely to be performed within the inmate's home world environment. French (1979) developed five prison sex-stress adaptations: abstinence, auto-sexuality, impersonal homosexuality, psuedo heterosexuality, and homosexuality. Inmates who are serving a relatively short time in prison and maintain ties to family and community are most likely to abstain from excessive deviant sexual activity in prison. Picture voyeurism and masturbation constitute auto- sexuality, which is a common tension-management technique for inmates. Impersonal homosexuality is a significant psychosexual adaptation for the otherwise heterosexual inmates, especially male inmates. Homosexual exploration is performed by otherwise heterosexual inmates. Psuedo heterosexuality is a psychosexual adaptation whereby young, slender male inmates are often forced to play the female role for aggressive inmates. Inmates who enter the prison as homosexuals have the opportunity in prison to serve the adjustment needs of fellow consenting homosexuals while accommodating the needs of heterosexuals within impersonal homosexual relationships. Given the complexities associated with the prison milieu, sexually active inmates, including those forced into these relationships, require primary attention due to the current challenge of both AIDS and hepatitis. 23 references