IMPORTATION AND DEPRIVATION PERSPECTIVES ON HOMOSEXUALITY IN CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS - AN EMPIRICAL TEST OF THEIR RELATIVE EFFICACY

• NCJ Number: 68657
• Author(s): A M L PROPPER
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 315 pages
• Grant Number(s): NI72-010-G; 73NI-99-001G; W70-5198
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice; US Dept of Justice NIJ Pub
• Sale Source: UMI Dissertation Services
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN - DOCTORAL DISSERTATION

Annotation

THIS STUDY ESTIMATES THE PREVALENCE OF HOMOSEXUALITY IN FEMALE CORRECTIONS INSTITUTIONS, DESCRIBES ITS RELATIONSHIP TO ERSATZ FAMILIES, AND EVALUATES THE MERITS OF TWO EXPLANATORY PERSPECTIVES.

Abstract

STUDY DATA ARE BASED PRIMARILY ON YOUTH AND STAFF QUESTIONNAIRES ADMINISTERED TO THE POPULATIONS OF A REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE OF FOUR FEMALE AND THREE COEDUCATIONAL CORRECTIONS INSTITUTIONS. DATA WERE COLLECTED AS PART OF A NATIONAL STUDY ON JUVENILE JUSTICE BY THE NATIONAL ASSESSMENT OF JUVENILE CORRECTIONS. IN ADDITION, SITE VISITS AND EXTENSIVE INTERVIEWS WERE CONDUCTED WITH PARTICIPANTS. THE PREVALENCE OF HOMOSEXUALITY DEPENDS ON HOW IT IS DEFINED AND HOW ESTIMATES ARE OBTAINED. THIS STUDY IS CONCERNED WITH WHETHER YOUNG INCARCERATED WOMEN HAD DATED OR 'BEEN MARRIED' TO ANOTHER GIRL, KISSED, WRITTEN LOVE LETTERS, OR HAD SEX. A TOTAL OF 14 PERCENT REPORTED THAT THEY HAD DATED OR BEEN MARRIED TO ANOTHER GIRL AT SOME TIME. ONLY ABOUT HALF OR THESE WOMEN WERE DATING SOMEONE AT THE TIME OF THE QUESTIONNAIRE ADMINISTRATION. THE DEPRIVATION MODEL OF EXPLANATION FOR HOMOSEXUAL BEHAVIOR ASSERTS THAT HOMOSEXUALITY SERVES AS A BUFFER AGAINST SUCH PAINS OF IMPRISONMENT AS ISOLATION FROM THE OUTSIDE COMMUNITY, REGIMENTATION, AND HARSH REGULATIONS. DATA COMPILED HERE DO NOT PROVIDE AN ADEQUATE TEST OF THE DEPRIVATION MODEL, HOWEVER, DUE TO THE NATURE OF THE CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS' PROGRAM VARIATIONS. THE IMPORTATION MODEL ARGUES THAT ANY EXPLANATORY MODEL OF PRISONIZATION MUST TAKE INTO ACCOUNT A BROAD SPECTRUM OF INFLUENCES THAT HAVE BEEN OPERATIVE BEFORE THE INMATES' CURRENT INCARCERATION. THE PREINCARCERATION VARIABLES OF PREVIOUS HOMOSEXUALITY AND NUMBER OF TIMES IN GROUP OR FOSTER HOMES ARE SIGNIFICANT INDICATORS OF THE INDIVIDUAL'S CURRENT HOMOSEXUALITY AND DEMONSTRATE THE IMPORTATION MODEL'S EFFECTIVENESS IN EXPLAINING HOMOSEXUALITY. ADDITIONALLY, IT APPEARS THAT THE MAJORITY OF FEMALES IN ERSATZ FAMILIES ADOPT SISTER AND MOTHER-DAUGHTER RELATIONSHIPS WITH ONE ANOTHER. FUTURE RESEARCH EFFORTS SHOULD ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF COERCION IN FEMALE HOMOSEXUAL RELATIONSHIPS. FOOTNOTES, OVER 60 REFERENCES, AND TABLES, ARE INCLUDED, AND APPENDIXES PRESENT EXAMPLES OF LETTERS AND MARRIAGE CERTIFICATES BETWEEN FEMALE INMATES, QUESTIONNAIRES, AND DISCUSSIONS OF STUDY DATA.