Long Term Imprisonment, Men and Sex
| Published date | 01 March 1997 |
| Date | 01 March 1997 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/026455059704400102 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
11
Long
Term
Imprisonment,
Men
and
Sex
Based
on
her
experience
of
secondment
to
a
long-term
prison
wing,
Susan
Barter,
now
Lecturer
in
Social
Work
at
the
University
of
Bath,
reflects
upon
male
sexuality
and
sexual
behaviour
in
the
sexually
charged
atmosphere
of
secure
imprisonment,
highlighting
some
of
the
pressures,
expectations
and
positive
contributions
of
women
probation
officers
and
arguing
that
sexual
issues
must
be
addressed
more
explicitly
in
throughcare.
hoagh
films,
fiction
and
biographical
accounts
by
ex-prisoners
present
snapshots
of
sexual
aggression
in
men’s
closed
prisons,
Wooden
and
Parker’s
study’
of
sexual
exploitation
in
an American
penal
institution
does
full
justice
to
its
shocking
subject
matter.
The
sexually
charged
atmosphere
is
generated
by
more
than
sexual
violence.
Tykes 12
classic
prison
study
describes
the sexual
frustration
of
healthy
virile
men
deprived
of
heterosexual
relationships.
Obvious
indicators
include
frenetic
gym
activities
or
sporadic
violence;
cell
walls
adorned
with
soft
and
not
so
soft
pornography;
explicit
letters
and
photographs
sent to
fuel
sexual
fantasies
and
visits
which
resemble
foreplay.
Consensual
and
non-consensual
sexual
activity
is
commonplace,
albeit
denied
by
the
Home
Office.
My
long
term
wing - jokingly
referred
to
as
the
prison’s
’married
quarters’ -
had
higher
than
average
proportions
of
vulnerable
prisoners
and
sex
offenders,
an
obvious
cocktail
for
sexual
activity.
The
small
handfuls
of
prison
officers
left
in
charge
of
ninety
lifers
and
long
termers
during
evening
association
were
not
over
zealous
in
monitoring
prisoners’
cell
activities,
out
of
a
mixture
of
fear
and
respect.
They
knew
the
sexual
patterns
of
the
prisoner
culture:
vulnerable
prisoners
who
submitted
to
stable
homosexual
relationships
as
protection
against
gang
rape;
violent
homosexual
prisoners
who
openly
targeted
new
arrivals
from
Young
Offender
Institutions;
prison
prostitution
and
heterosexual
prisoners
pressured,
by
both
their
own
frustrations
and
other
prisoners,
to
adapt
to
sexual
practices
with
men.
I
wondered
why
the
notorious
sexual
predators
were
not
monitored
routinely.
After
an
explosive
interview
with
one
such
prisoner,
male
staff
congratulated
me
for
’daring
to
be
honest
with
him’.
I
realised
they
were
frightened
of
him;
institutional
homophobia
breeds
the
fear
which
enables
such
prisoners
to
abuse
others
repeatedly.
Paradoxically,
the
few
close
friendships
between
prisoners
were
watched
with
suspicion:
if
overtly
sexual
or
the
cause
of
jealousy,
one
partner
was
moved
to
another
prison.
This
was
known
as
a
’marriage
breakdown’ .
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