Second Outline: Intimacy and Sexual Fluidity Within Prisons ...

Introduction

Official prison records identify 19% of inmates as homosexual (Ward, Kassebaum 160). Yet, surveys of prison staff would suggest that, ??between 30 and 70% of inmates have affairs while in prison? (Ward, Kassebaum 166). Therefore, the primary focus of this paper will be to study the impact that being sent to prison has on the sexuality of its inmates. Prisons provide a unique environment from which we can study sexuality and how, or to what extent, it can be shaped by society, because of the confined space in which inmates interact. ?The bases for prisoner behavior are now seen to be the kinds of deprivation, limitations and hardships posed by confinement, coupled with the pre-prison backgrounds of the inmates? (Ward, Kassebaum 160). The typical sexual narrative that then comes out of prisons is that of ?switching teams?. For instance a man, or woman, who at one point was straight, is led to seek out a same sex partner over the course of their incarceration. Is this person gay? Straight? Or bisexual? What if they identify themselves straight, but sleep with someone of the same

The sex-research community has largely ignored sexuality in prisons. But, interest in inmate sexuality has increased since the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003, not just concerning victimization, but all aspects of sexuality. A biological emphasis on sexuality would suggest that it is determined at birth. Sexuality is therefore something that is set. People are born into their sexuality. While, this appears to be the case, given that people do not typically switch whom they are attracted to on a dime, there are studies of inmates? experiences that point to sexuality being more fluid.

Literature Review:

Prison subcultures evolve to meet specific needs of the inmates, whether they are physical or emotional. For instance, many inmates are afraid upon their initial arrival; they are afraid of being mistreated by other prisoners, or by the staff, and whether or not they will ever see their family again. And the frustration at feeling separated from one?s family or friends doesn?t dissipate over time (Ward, Kassebaum 162). Forming different partnerships exists as a mode of survival. The extent to which men and women form these relationships may depend on different sex roles already developed by society, or their physical and social standings within the prison. Therefore, part of understanding homosexuality and sexual fluidity within this confined environment involves comparing and contrasting female and male institutions.

According to Ward and Kassebaum, ?emotional deprivation and lack of experience in fending for oneself combine in the women?s prison to promote?homosexual involvement? (Ward, Kassebaum 166). This is in comparison to how sociologist once characterized homosexual relationships in prison as only acts of deviancy, or the acts of hardened, jaded criminals who were waiting to take advantage of new inmates (Kunzel 115). But, what was once viewed as childish, or acting upon a type of crush is now viewed in terms of real relationships. Showing that there is a far greater range in activities and the expression of sexuality in prison than was once thought. There are also distinctions made between those who are ?true? homosexuals and ?jailhouse turn-outs? (those who typically return to heterosexual relationships after prison). In both male and female institutions there appear to be pressures to ?turn-out?, as well as adhere to designated social, and sexual roles (such as the existence of an?aggressive, ?masculine? partner). For instance, Gibson?s work describes power relationships in which sex is used as a form of control, or to obtain a ?reward? (higher standing in the prison hierarchy). In other words, prisoners ?redefine their outward identities in an attempt to fit into the prison society without becoming victims themselves? (Gibson 19). To what extent this is true may vary across institutions, gender, and time, which reflected by Kunzel?s writings, allowing for a more historical view from which the articles by Gibson, Ward and Kassebaum may function.

Moving Forward:

The arguments raised by this paper reflect a much more generalized question, which is: to what extent do social circumstances shape one?s sexuality? And, how does this vary across male and female correctional facilities?

Citations:

Ward, David and Gene G. Kassebaum.?Homosexuality: A Mode of Adaptation in a Prison for Women.?Problems?, Vol. 12, No. 2.Published by:?University of California Press, 1964. 159-177. Article Stable URL:?http://www.jstor.org/stable/798979

Gibson, L. E . A penological approach to the social construct of sexuality. The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/894086283?accountid=14784

Kunzel, Regina. Criminal Intimacy: Prison and the Uneven History of Modern American Sexuality. ?The Deviants are the Heterosexuals?. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2008. 111-148. Print.

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Source: http://mkopas.net/courses/soc287/2012/07/22/second-outline-intimacy-and-sexual-fluidity-within-prisons/

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