Qualitative Survey on Rape and Voluntary Sexual Activity in US Prisons (2020): Raw Data

What follows are the raw data received in replies to a survey of U.S. inmates in both Federal and state prisons conducted in 2019-2020 regarding inmate practices and attitudes on voluntary sexual activity inside prisons, as well as prison rape. Immediately below is reprinted the survey instrument. Respondents’ answers can be correlated with the question number. In many cases, respondents’ detailed “thick descriptions” speak for themselves and require no concordance.

Questionnaire on Sex in Prisons

The William A. Percy Foundation for Social & Historical Studies is undertaking a new research project on the prevalence of and inmate attitudes toward sexual interactions in prison. Most US prisons ban all sex outside of rare conjugal visits, but some penologists and medical authorities believe a more permissive approach, including free availability of condoms, would reduce tensions in prison and safeguard public health by lowering the spread of HIV. We want to know what you think, based on what you have seen. Please write your response in the form of a letter, however long or short. If possible, answer the following questions:

1. Do you identify as male, female, or in some degree transgender?

2. How old are you?

3. Have you personally witnessed sexual activity in prison?

4. If you were not a participant, did it offend you or was your attitude tolerant? Explain.

5. Based on your experience and observations, what percentage of prisoners in your facility are sometimes sexually active with other inmates?

6. How frequent is involuntary, coercive sex and rape?

7. Does complaint to the authorities about a coercive relationship or attack result in positive action, or in punishing the victim by confinement to “protective custody”? Does complaining get one labelled as a “snitch” by other inmates?

8. Is most of the sex in your prison voluntary and consensual between both parties?

9. How do inmates go about finding privacy?

10. Do other inmates complain about those who engage in homosexual sex inside the prison?

11. What happens to inmates who are caught in sexual situations by guards?

12. Do the guards ever violate prisoners in a sexual way?

13. Do you believe that allowing voluntary sex in prison would reduce tensions or create more problems?

14. Do men who are otherwise completely straight (in civilian life) engage in sex with other men while in prison? If so, what patterns do you see in how they may adjust to same-sex contacts? Do they go after younger guys, more feminine types, or straight-acting men like themselves? Or do they wait to be approached by others?

15. Have your experiences, either as a participant or witness, changed your own attitudes about homosexuality or your sexual practices? Do you think your life after getting out of prison might be different as a result? If you are in prison for a sex offense, do you think your prison experiences will make you less likely to re-offend?

16. If you were LGBT-identified before prison, how has this affected you in prison? Has it made you more popular or less popular among non-LGBT inmates? More liable to victimization or protection by other prisoners?

If you prefer, you are welcome to write your account as a narrative rather than as answers to these individual questions. Both kinds of feedback are useful to us. You know what is going on inside prisons better than we do. We are here to listen and learn from you, and produce studies that will hopefully influence policy makers. Let us know if you would like to see a copy of our research results.

Code Key for Responses

Offense Code:

1 = contact offense with a minor;

2 = enticement of a minor;

3 = child pornography;

4 = adult rape;

5 = murder or manslaughter;

6 = other violent crime (robbery, assault, etc.);

7 = property crime (burglary, arson, etc.);

8 = drug possession or distribution, or DWI;

9 = other non-violent crime (fraud, conspiracy, etc.)

Kinsey Code:

In addition to the conventional Kinsey 0-6 ratings, we included a seventh code for asexual attractions or behavior.

We have much more granular information on most of these respondents, including detailed demographics, adverse childhood experiences, sexual histories, substance abuse histories, and standard psychological tests. This information can be made available to qualified researchers upon request to the Foundation.

Responses

 

TX-316 Offense Code = 5 Race = W Kinsey (attractions/experience) = 2/2

  1. Pansexual
  2. 40
  3. Yes.
  4. I was a participant in some cases. In others I was very tolerant. I believe to each his own and do what you want as long as it doesn’t effect [sic] me.
  5. I would say about 30% are active.
  6. About 1% are forced
  7. To complain does no good. Only BAO comes of speaking up. To be labelled as a punk or snitch is common.
  8. Yes.
  9. Making a tent under sheets with fans or sneaking into others cells.
  10. Yes. If you are caught or a known homosexual no matter what you do other inmates will complain about you. They always think you are up to something sexual. You can’t just have friends, they think you might be having sex.
  11. Get locked up and a case and labelled and the guards tell other inmates to put you into bad situations.
  12. I’ve only seen them or experienced them violate us verbally
  13. If they kept us together and apart from gangs and let us do our thing yes, but if it were done in public or G.P. there would be more violence
  14. Yes. They get into cells with younger more feminine guys and can open up to them when alone but what happens in the cell must stay in the cell or they might be forced to fight if it gets out.
  15. No. No. No. I am who I am in prison or not and I’ll do what I do.
  16. I was but not out. In prison I came out openly and it hurt me in many ways. Doors closed for me in jobs, church, ect [sic]. Its dog eat dog in here. Luckily I’m strong and can fight for myself. I’ve always been a lover.

Please send a copy of your research results. Thank you

 

 

TX-180 OC = 1 Race = H Kinsey = 5/6

I am a 54 year old gay male incarcerated in a Texas prison for twenty seven years now and I have seen much sexual activity behind these walls pertaining to mostly consentual [sic] sex between prisoners. I have heard activity between prisoners & guards, but never witnessed it or participated. If someone is ever forced into this behavior the perpetrator will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. There are video cameras on the living area & hallways, but not in the cells. In days past the administration tried to deny forced sex happens, but now they attempt to prevent this. I do believe everyone has a right to do as they please as long as it isn’t forced and it doesn’t involve anyone else. There are many questions that can’t be simply answered. Such as question 14. Yes some straight men participate either with other straight men, because they want to keep it secret, with feminine types, so they can claim they have a “wife” or whatever thier [sic] preference. I would say that around 20% of the prison populace participates in one way or another regardless of rules or what other people think. Yes there have been altercations between differences of opinion, but not much, because cameras help stem the violence a great deal. We also have what is called safe prisons, where prisoners can voice their problems of sexual harassment, assault, threats etc. and is investigated. Privacy does not exist according to administration, but blind spots do exist, single prison showers, cells, behind boxes etc. and relationships also exist between couples willing to be faithful and limited to one person. Guards can & do write prisoners are disciplinary case if caught and could, usualy [sic] do, send the prisoners to medium custody. I also believe if prisoners wish to live as couples it would relieve a great deal of problems & reduce tensions. I have been gay my whole life and things are pretty much the same in here, people wanting to share thier [sic] life with another human being. Some sell (rent) themselves, some just think it’s one pig party and want to have fun, to each is [sic] but they should be educated about disieses [sic]. I know upon release I will not re-offend because I’m a one person kind and most in here are. I never forced anyone into anything and never will, I just made bad choices & decisions due to hard drink and drugs.

Thank you

 

TX-230 OC = 1 Race = H Kinsey = 0/0

Dear William A. Percy Foundation,

Thank you for the books. TCDJ decided to ship me off to the desert in the middle of the night. I was afraid that the books that I requested would not follow me.

One of my plays was performed at the Brooklyn Book Festival last year; “Freedom Feather.” I did a PEN Ten interview also. Check it out. I give the Foundation a shout out.

I am a 49 year old male and I have been locked up in Texas for fifteen years. I am that increasingly rare breed of inmate called a convict. I notice very little that doesn’t concern me directly and what I do notice, I ignore. That said, I have noticed consensual sex multiple times through the years.

I’ve also noticed that inmates tend to come in two varieties; one of them is socially tolerant and the other is as intolerant as a Texas republican. Some of these men sound like the judges who threw them away. I fall into the first camp. Hell, sex is just about the only part of prison that I understand.

At the camp that I’m at now, the open gays are segregated into their own dorm. I’m not sure why. I don’t know if it is for their own protection or not. I have never witnessed violence against anyone because of their sexual orientation. I have never witnessed a rape. I have heard of one through group gossip some years ago but it sounded a little bit like a prison urban legend – the big cellie, the bread bag in the ass.

Texas started a program some years ago called PRE. On the Roach Unit, it was considered a bit of a joke, but I imagine that it would be an effective program. Certain inmates are always on snitch hunts, or witch hunts for child molesters and homosexuals. If a victim were to turn a rapist in, certainly the homeboys would feel the need to retaliate. Even though any sexual activity in Texas prisons is illicit, most of it seems consensual or barter based.

I think that the privacy issue is the least of the concerns of inmates. There is always an empty cell, an open closet, or a shield of some sort. Not unlike when I was a kid. When my girlfriend and I wanted to have sex, we always found a place.

I have never witnessed another inmate have sex with a guard. I have witnessed relationships with guards. Fifteen years is a long time. I imagine there is very little that I haven’t seen.

I don’t know if I believe that allowing consensual sex in prisons would reduce tensions. On the surface, you would think so. What I do believe is that removing adult magazines combined with overcrowding creates tension. A single inmate per cell would allow an inmate to relieve pressure, self-soothe or whatever euphemism you want to use for masturbation. Combine that with zero tolerance policy for rape and I think that would be a positive thing.

I have had three gay cellies since I was locked up in 2005. Never an issue. I’m not gay. What I am is a sexual opportunist, an alcoholic, and general douche-bag. I happen to be handsome and I am very charming. When I am in the world I use all these dynamic factors to generate situations so that I can have sex. When they don’t work, I visit massage parlors, visit Boy’s Town in Mexico, or dial up a call girl. It never occurred to me to have sex with a man. I will say this though, the women I find myself attracted to tend to be slender, slightly androgynous and have very short hair.

Here is the guaranteed way ‘turn out’ and inmate. Find an small inmate. A man that looks like he was probably abused by his mom’s boyfriends and make sure that he doesn’t make store.

Now, sit beside him with two enormous bowls of food, put his on the bench between the two of you and start eating. He’ll notice the food. Sooner or later, his stomach will ask him, what’s this. The answer is, that’s for you.

He’ll be suspicious. You tell him the truth. That one. That one right there is no strings attached.

The inmate will eat the food even though he doesn’t believe you. He’s hungry.

The next day you do it again. Say the same thing, that one. That bowl right there is no strings attached. Do it three more days.

Listen to his jail tail. Call bullshit on his lies. Laugh at his jokes.

That fifth day, he’ll be looking for you. Set the food down on the bench. When he reaches for it, say, whoa. That one right there. That bowl right there. You know what it is.

The younger inmate will get up and walk away.

The next day, bring out another heaping bowl of food and set it down on the bench between the two of you. Same thing, that one right there. You know what it is.

Sooner or later, his hunger will swallow his pride. You’ll set down an enormous bowl of food and he’ll pick it up and eat it. And you’ll both know what it is.

Money creates opportunity. Poverty corrupts the soul. Ask any douche-bag. Me or your president.I’m not talking about what is right . I’m talking about what is. In prison, I’ve noticed hunger creates more sexual opportunities than anything else then loneliness, then desperation.

I hope that you find something in this letter that you can use.

Thank you again for the books. I’m excited about the John Synge plays.

Que te vaya bien

P.S. Please note my change of address.

TX-49 OC = 1 Race = W Kinsey = 4/4

To those it may concern;

I am a thirty-five-year-old bisexual male in the TX Dep. Of Corrections. I didn’t start out in adult prison – but in youth prison (TX Youth Commission).

As a juvenile I witnessed numerous sexual assaults by guards and other inmates. These assaults weren’t all violent or non-consensual. I never had been raped (until adult prison); but had participated in several sexual acts.

You ask in question four if it offended me. The short answer is yes. I still awaken at night to the cries and please of young boys being sodomized. I’m still haunted by the hollow eyes of boys who emerged from offices and closets with their captors and abusers.

Was my attitude tolerant? Hell no. I have several assaults on officers – and offenders. Consensual is one thing but rape is another.

Here in prison – yeah rape happens. However, I don’t feel it’s as prevalent as some make it out to be. I’ve seen all too commonly that when two partners are willing – and get caught; one cries rape.

To cry rape you don’t suffer a harsher fate. But here in TX zero-tolerance means just that – ZERO TOLERANCE. Both get punished.

Based on my own personal experience I feel strongly that the percentage of sexual activity reaches over eighty percent. Be it voyeurism to penetration, I’ve seen and done it.

I was coerced, and raped. So it happens, I won’t deny that. But the actual number is less than ten percent. With the Safe Prisons programs however there isn’t an accurate count. Here in TX as I said zero tolerance means zero tolerance.

Take Allred for example. Safe prisons at one point had made it into the rape capitol of the world. Code 20’s (sexual misconduct cases) were written for anything and everything perceived as sexual. ZERO TOLERANCE.

The complaints aren’t always taken serious by the rank because so many people burn the system with false claims. But no one gets labeled snitch.

As I said sex does happen in prison. No amount of zero tolerance will ever prevent it. It’s consensual by parties. It’s probably the worst kept secret in prison.

Privacy in prison is a joke. Someone knows your exact location at any moment. But on rare occasions mop closets, multipurpose rooms, gym and infirmary restrooms become red-light areas. Ha, I’ve even seen the pill window line busy with couples.

Those that complain are often covering their own secret “shame”. We have a saying, “if you complain so much it’s cause you want it but are scared to admit it.”

Those who get caught are severely punished. Again the whole zero tolerance thing. Getting caught gets you both locked up, questioned, and cases written. Then at a small kangaroo court you get shafted by a prison guard acting as judge juror and executioner.

All the while you “legal representative” sits idly by doing nothing. Then back to lock up to await UCC (unit classification) who “votes” to put you in medium custody.

Do the guards ever violate prisoners in a sexual way? Other than while in TYC [Texas Youth Commission] I’ve not seen it. But have known and participated in a relationship with a guard. It was consensual, we’re all human.

Hmm allowing voluntary sex in prison could be a double edged sword. On the one hand it would create less tension – but you still have the one percent of gay bashers. Perhaps if we were allowed to be married and placed in certain units, that would be better.

The “straight” guys claiming to be “gay for the stay” are usually the ones that cause the most trouble. I know men with wife and kids and wear panties to attract “feminine” men.

It’s funny, these guys will act like they’re going through puberty all over again. At first they get approached then they’re like I don’t do _____ [the blank is written into the original letter]. Then they’re the ones doing exactly that.

Most do go after young effeminate guys. But some like the buff guys.

Most won’t approach first. They feel it too unmanly to stoop to that level. Some wait years to cross that bridge (even if it’s only once); others days – or years.

Has my experience as a participant or witness changed my attitude? Somewhat – like now I know it isn’t about love. Some just want to “get their rocks off”; others actually wish for long term.

As I experienced a twelve year relationship with a loving, devoted caring man. I now know how to have a serious relationship. Sadly he’s gone home, and yet he surprises me by writing monthly.

I am in prison for sexually assaulting a six-year-old boy. I was sixteen, and had no positive role models. Nor did I have words to describe who I was – bisexual.

Some say rapists or molesters of children do so as a result of having been raped. I don’t believe so. I was raped by my uncle – not consensual in any way. I chose to molest Dillon.

Life is about choices. Good or bad, smart or dumb – we all make choices. I was curious about sex and pursued it – my stupid choice.

Now after prison I realize who I am. I’ve grown up and have matured. My long-term relationship may even continue upon my release.

Before I came to prison I knew I was different. Now I know who I am. Prison has made me a better person – I’m actually kinda glad for my sentence.

As to popularity – being free-world or prison turn doesn’t really matters. True us free worlders can spot a “turn-out” quickly – but who am I to judge?

I don’t seek popularity. I know as a “child molester” I suffer the potential negative effects of such. This is what makes me (and others such as I) more vulnerable. Double so if the victim was a boy.

Prisons are designed to make you fail. They warehouse you for decades, then within the last few years try to “rehabilitate” you. But again, you choose to rehabilitate yourself.

I’ve spent nearly nineteen years of my life here in prison. And have just gotten a fresh five year set-off. I just keep remembering the philosopher Milton’s words “you can make a heaven of hell or a hell of heaven.”

Choices my friend, choices.

P.S. I would love to receive a copy of the results of this study. And I thank you all for your continued efforts and support. I pray this program will continue long into the future.

 

FED-66 OC = 3 Race = W Kinsey = 4/6

  1. Male
  2. 34
  3. I have seen sexual activity in prison, yes.
  4. I am not offended by sexual activity, as long as the person(s) involved are discreet about it and leave me out of it/do not try to involve me or are very open about it (be private)
  5. I would say about 10 to 15% of inmates here are active but it could be more (yet due to stigma or fear of repercussions etc do not make it known)
  6. Rape does happen, we have it here about once a year that we are made aware of [emphasis in original text]
  7. This is two questions. A). I had a PREA case personally and the inmate involved was shipped to another yard/sent to the SHU with a shot. Usually PREA cases are met with discipline because if it’s a genuine rape case, that inmate has a history already anyways. B). As to snitch, yes that does occur because oftentimes, the other inmate was so slick about the abuse, he had other inmates thinking he was a tough guy or not gay, etc.
  8. Yes – most is voluntary
  9. Most inmates do things in their room with a towel over the window or in a bathroom late at night/shower area.
  10. It’s well known here – in fact, they call Petersburg “Sweetersburg” and thus ignored.
  11. If caught, you go to the SHU for investigation. Yes, we have one inmate whom was caught twice and both times came back (with shots)
  12. I’ve not heard of this here.
  13. Voluntary sex – probably be more of an issue than help it.
  14. Absolutely! I see this more in higher custody level, where men have been in longer/life sentences. Most will justify the sex by stating it’s not happening (lie), or saying it’s not gay if they’re only having oral sex etc. Yes, younger looking guys or guys who are shyer are targeted more often. Also, you get a reputation for being gay etc and will be approached that way.
  15. As to re-offending – we have two basic protections on us (registry & longer probations than others) so yes, we tend to not re-offend. My experiences haven’t changed my thoughts. I am still open to anyone who is gay etc and feel more for those whom are abused.
  16. N/A – I am not seen here as that group, but here there are probably the most of any federal prison (medium is even higher w/t/q) and thus it is accepted here.

Hope this helps, thanks for all you guys do & please keep me on the mailing list/send results

TX-111. OC = 1 Race = W Kinsey = 6/6

  1. I identify as male.
  2. I am a white 61-year-old.
  3. Yes, I have witnessed sex
  4. Experienced both as participant and witnessed.
  5. On safekeeping the percentages of sexual activity depend on the unit. On the olt units like where I’m assigned now its barely any activity unless you and your cellie can become active. On the new units its more sexually active, say 1% or 2%. Now with the cameras… [ellipses in original text]
  6. Not sure at all. No one speaks of it.
  7. Somewhat positive actions these days; not when I was first raped in 2000 and in the coercive/manipulation type on vulnerable inmate’s (as self) sex assaults. Went to safekeeping as result. Not labeled as “snitch”.
  8. Yes, I believe most is voluntary and consensual. But there’s the predators even on safekeeping too.
  9. Depends on the design of the units. You have the old style (like I’m in now) with very limited and restricted privacy (e.g. have bars in front of cells and shower community style). Newer units so much easier access and privacy if you don’t have the “haters” snitching you off to safe prisons staff, and the cameras.
  10. Yes and no.
  11. Disciplinary cases and sometimes criminal charges filed and if released: register as sex offender. In Texas there’s no such thing as consensual touch, sex, etc.
  12. Yes. I believe in very, very limited circumstances especially in men’s prisons. Perhaps more experienced in women’s prisons.
  13. I believe that voluntary sex that’s 100% consensual in prison would be great. But in Texas which is still in the dark ages there’d be problems by staff and inmates. It would ddefinitely reduce tensions (I know it has been three years since my last sexual experience). Too, it may create some unseen and unknowable presently problems: small or large. To me it’d be best for conjugal/family visits and furloughs instead.
  14. Yes. I really don’t see or pay attention as to how many adjust to same-sex contacts. They usually go after the younger guys. More so the feminine/transgender types. A lot of times it’s the “girlies” go after the straight types and work their magic, and at times it’s the other way too. Guess it depends on the $$, tired of being alone without your girlfriend or wife: other factors.
  15. My experiences with the right “lovers” in most cases were positive. My attitudes towards homosexuality is the same basically. I’m serving two consecutive life sentences. Yes, I’m in prison for a sex offense. With a young minor male who was well experienced already. The one thing about my time in prison is I’ve learned about myself that “I do not have to recommit any sex crimes again; especially against any young person, as I now know what led me to do so in the first place.” Otherwise, in Texas prisons its not a life of transforming one to be better at all. It is about cruelty and punishment making you into what those running are: evil!!!! [emphasized as it is in the original text] And the public wonders why there’s such a high reoffense rate in parolees in Texas. Its not rehabilitative, it’s debilitate 100%.
  16. Prison in Texas has screwed up my mind badly. I’ll never be the same again. It’s a vert extremely NEGATIVE world and existence in here. I am likely less popular amongst straights, bis, gays, … [ellipses in original text] because Texas inmates don’t care about the next person: only themselves. Unless they think or know they can get something from you. They’ll argue and fight you instead of the guards and treat you as the enemy. There’s no love really. No unity as ONE against our common enemy. We’re supposed to be in the same boat. But that’s not the facts as they are concerned: divide and stay divided. This even amongst the gay community, the Christian community, the unbelieving community, and all other groups whatever the are! That’s the reason it’s the way it is in Texas: it’s the majority of inmates are about “me and only me”. It’s more liable to victimization by staff and inmates-against-inmates. Texas has to me the most sorry ass inmates in the USA!!! Hardly very few actually and truly care

And before I end this, let me say this. All of the advocacy groups, ministries, agencies, etc. in Texas, they refuse to get involved with helping inmates no matter the situation of seriousness nor circumstances. I know. I’ve been seeking their HELP for 20 plus years now and no one has ever stepped-up to help not only me but all others who are in need too!

Please send me a copy of your research results. I believe some state and federal prisons would allow consensual sex between inmates with protection provided.

This program seems like it would help a lot of us sex offenders. Especially for those who have engaged in sex with minors! However there’s a lot of 100% indignant inmates who’d truly benefit from such programs.

Do you know of any sponsors who’d benefit us indigents in order to get the help we need? I’d love to participate and take the program as I may be free one day after court post-conviction units are freed and relief granted.

Most respectfully,

FED-17 OC = 3 Race = W Kinsey = 0/0

  1. I am a cis-gender male, straight.
  2. I am 38 years. I came in at 28.
  3. I have witnessed gay sex in prison.
  4. I am tolerant if the people engaged have mad a reasonable effort to be discreet. I do act as “lookout” for my cellmate when he has sex to make sure he isn’t caught.
  5. I would figure at this institution perhaps 40 to 50 percent of the inmates have sex, but keep in mind where I am. I’ll get to that later.
  6. Rape, real rape anyway, is rare.
  7. Complaint of rape is usually handled by the person who complained being moved to a different unit, but not the “hole”. He is not looked down on generally. Most cries of rape are unfounded, usually being due to relationship stressors – person A and B are “dating”, person B has sex with person C. Person A confronts B, who sys they were coerced. To keep the “relationship” together, person C gets called a rapist.
  8. Most sex is voluntary. In 10 years in, I have heard of maybe 4 actual rapes and probably 3 or 4 attempts.
  9. This prison’s cells have doors, so they just block the window, they use showers.
  10. Complaints come up from people being too open. Otherwise the complaints about “gays” are just bigots hating that gays exist at all.
  11. It depends on the guard, but they are supposed to be put in the hole and one or both written up for sexual assault. There is no such thing as consent as far s the BOP is concerned, someone is the raper and someone is the victim.
  12. During strip searches the guards will make comments, but I have never heard of a guard violating an inmate.
  13. Allowing “voluntary” sex would really change nothing. The people who want sex have it.
  14. I feel you have to be some sort of gay to begin with. Prison gives men who are bi or curious an excuse to act out.
  15. Prison hasn’t changed how I view gays. I am a sex offender, and I think prison has made me much worse. My fantasies involve younger girls the longer I am in and have gotten more violent. I have no plans to re-offend, but I will die before coming back.
  16. I am not LGBTQIPA? I am straight.

P.S. I am adding a little rant on things I have noticed that fit with your questions.

You have to temper all my answers with the fact that I am at Segoville FCI. This prison is a real club fed, no guard towers, no lockdowns, no real danger. No one has shanks or anything like that. The officers claim the compound is 70% sex offenders, and I believe it. This is a P.C. yard, the whole prison is protective custody. If someone isn’t a sex offender, they are most likely snitches. The old captain used to tell new arrivals that the yard was for snitches, bitches, and chomos [prison slang for child molester].. which are you?

I need to talk more on question 14: I have seen a lot of “straight” guys turn in there, and while it can happen a lot of different ways, the one I have seen happen the same way 6 different times (twice with the same “girl”) is thus: the guy is new, he’s big, bad, macho, and HATES FAGS! He starts hanging out with a gay or a trans (“girl”) and they are his “little sister” … he hates all the “creeps” who make plays for his “little sister” … [all ellipses in original text] and he slowly gets more and more possessive. Then he starts writing “her” letters, despite the fact they see each other daily. People start to talk… he lashes out, sometimes violently, at people who say, “due it’s cool… just be gay…”. Then he slowly comes out. If it is a trans, there is a period of “I’m not gay! That’s a LADY!” which leads to much mockery.

I’d like to talk about condoms… they would help, but only if people cared enough to use them. I have known guys to get oral from someone who is HIV positive and say it’s cool, you can’t get AIDS from getting oral, only giving… and no one could convince them otherwise.

There are also a lot of excuses that make gay sex okay in peoples minds. These are usually used when sticking up for a friend or fellow gang member. “He’s not gay he’s just:

  • Young
  • Got a long bit
  • Used to getting it a lot
  • Only getting oral
  • Only being the top
  • Getting that money (if they are prostitutes)
  • Lonely
  • Only with transgenders (they’re girl)

The list goes on and on. Basically, you aren’t gay if your gang says you aren’t.

The ones that get me are the guys who seem to get off on being creepy stalkers. They fixate on a person and follow them, spy on them, spread rumors about them. These are scary people. You can be in their cell and go “so what’s shorty up to?” and they will give you their whole day, because they have watched for months and they know.

I feel that the gays would be better off in here if they could police their own to a degree. Stop the ones who do things in public spaces, stop the creepy stalkers, they make them all look bad. As do the ones who do the “everyone is gay and I’ll turn you too” bull. If I haven’t gone gay in 10 years in, it most likely won’t happen. I had one ask if I were gay, then after I told him no offered to perform analingus on me… I just said I wasn’t gay and we were cool, now I want to punch you. Way to go.

There are a lot of ways to bring the tension down in here that don’t necessarily involve sex and would help more than just the gays. You are essentially trying to find a way to help one group, would it make sense to say “we want to reduce tensions in prisons by allowing pedophiles pictures of children.” Helps the pedos, but no one else. You are doing that with gays. “Reduce tensions in prisons by letting gays have sex.” Helps the gays, sure. But what does it do for heterosexual cis-gender me?

But… I answered your questions and I do think it would help them if they didn’t have to hide, but what would relieve tensions for all of us? A lot of us have ideas and there are a lot of ways this could make a lot less stressful for everyone. Just ask us… you’ll get a million ideas, most of them would be free to implement too.

Thanks for listenin’

 

 

NY-12 OC = 6 Race = W Kinsey = 0/0

Sex in Prisons

I am 72 years old and my word on the subject is to each his own. Most “pals” keep a low profile as the CO’s are on the lookout for something or other so they can get a “ataboy” [sic] and send someone to the “box” I believe that allowing same sex would create a problem and maybe turn violent as inmates may want to take over same sex inmate partner. I have been down 11 years in 5 prisons and the same sex is very low due to no privacy and snitches looking. For ataboys from CO’s. I keep the same look at same sex inside and outside. It does not bother me. Live and let live the choice is everyone’s.

 

 

TX-110 OC = 5 Race = W Kinsey = 2/3

  1. Identify as male.
  2. Age 47
  3. I have witnessed sex activity in prison.
  4. I have participated in sex, it did not offend me.
  5. Transgender and street gang members are the highest percentage in this unit.
  6. Often with gang members.
  7. We are punished and some time placed in protective custody complaining does get us labeled as a snitch.
  8. Sex is voluntary most of the time
  9. The inmates don’t have the privacy
  10. Inmates complain about others engaging in prison sex.
  11. Inmate & guards sex the inmate get rape charges the guard gets walked off unit.
  12. I got violated by Officer Rachel
  13. Yes sex in prison would reduce tensions if GBTQ [sic] was housed on the same unit away from gangs.
  14. There straight men that engage in sex with other men, feminine type boy/men are the most likely pick, most try to get one as a cell or in work places.
  15. I feel the same inside prison as I would on the outside about gay sex.
  16. I am LGBT identified before prison, but still live in fear of gang bangers and being forced to cell with them.

My Feedback:

Most I’ve seen on rape is gay that had sex then cried out rape so they could be put on safe keeping so they don’t have to live in fear of being housed with gang bangers. And the safe prison is a jock they are TDCJ guards that steal from inmates more than the gang members do.

If the prison would take safe prison out of TDCJ hand and run if with outside people it would stop a lot of harm to GTBQ people in prison.

And if they would make a safe prison unit where GBTQ people could have safe sex the cry of rape would stop.

I have had sex one time in 17 years only because my fear of guards and gang bangers. If I was housed on a safe prison unit that was not in prison guard hands I would be having stress free sex.

I am bisexual yet I love to receive more cock than I put out I am top/bottom!!

I myself have been sexually assaulted by a guard and beaten by two black male guards and their rank took sides with the guards so do internal affairs. They stole all my property that I got off unit commissary. The mail room steals my art, I am forced to house with another man in a HS building. We are forced to shower in cell together that agent prea [this was illegible]. We need outside help.

Sincerely, Billy

 

 

FED-277 OC = 3 Race = W Kinsey = 0/0

  1. I identify as male
  2. I will be 40 years old in a few days
  3. While I have not directly witnessed actual sexual intercourse while incarcerated, I have seen what can reasonably be construed as sexual contact or results from sexual contact. Two scenarios include having personally witnessed ejaculate on another inmate’s face and what appeard to be one inmate manually stimulating another men.
  4. I was not and would never be a participant in homosexual activity. I have a strong religious and moral objection to such activity. However, what two individuals choose to do when in private is a matter between them and whatever their religious beliefs are. I do not agree with any public fornication or obscene behavior regardless of genders involved.
  5. Based on my experience and observations I would estimate between 60 to 70 % of this facility engages in some form of sexual conduct with other inmates.
  6. I have been housed at this facility for nearly seven years and during that time I have only witnessed two incidences of actual involuntary sexual contact, rape or coercive sex. I do know that there have been more claims than that but all of these are usually some form of extortion or revenge on a scorned lover.
  7. I have witnessed this facility punish the victim of sexual assault with confinement in the Special Housing Unit (SHU), or hole, or bucket in slang terms.
  8. Most of the sexual contact between inmates seems to be consensual between parties.
  9. Inmates at this facility find privacy in the following ways: A)They use the bathroom in the chow hall where different units comingle; B) They use one of the inmate’s cells if they are from the same unit, and sometimes are cellmates (two inmates share the same cell); C) The two involved will attempt to find an out of the way corner/area of the rec yard; D) they will use the stall in the bathroom in education; E) they will just be blatant on a bench/bleachers in the rec yard.
  10. Some inmates complain about homosexual acts at the facility but those inmates are discouraged from actually complaining to staff by use of future harassment by staff. You will often hear inmates complain to no one in particular about homosexuals, but often times that is a cover because they themselves will engage in those acts when they believe no one is aware of those activities.
  11. The usual result is about half the time both inmates go to the SHU and then are released in a week or two. The other half the time staff will ensure that they simply don’t see it.
  12. I have not witnessed any staff violate any inmate in a sexual way.
  13. I believe at most facilities allowing sexual interaction between men would create more problems, including an increase in rape. However, I believe allowing pornography in prisons for personal relief would reduce all tensions and sexual assaults.
  14. I can only speak from what I see and believe. I do not believe homosexuality is something that changes. My belief is that you have to have some form of homosexuality (even in civilian life) and that does not change when people come to prison. I know that I have heard other inmates declare they are “prison gay” and straight on the streets, but I still believe they are just more attracted to females than males, not they are not attracted to males in civilian life. I can’t tell you how they adjust because I simply put my proverbial blinders on because I want nothing to do with that culture.
  15. I am imprisoned on a sex offense and having seen how predatory some inmates are has made me more conscientious towards my own thoughts and actions. This has led me to be more conscious of my own thoughts that could lead to re-offenses.
  16. I do not identify as any qualifying group of the LGBTQ group.

I hope these answers help you in your endeavors, and I apologize for any misspellings and my horrible handwriting. My final thought is that only allowing homosexual relations in prison is discriminatory and unless the prisons are going to be a “co-ed” environment the stance must be a ban on all interactions amongst inmates. A simpler and healthier avenue is to allow pornography into prisons so that inmates can individually find relief.

Again, thank you for all your organization does.

 

 

TX-36 OC = 1 Race = H Kinsey = 0/0

I am a 53 year old male and identify as such. I have been locked up for 19 years and have seen sexual activity while being here. I was not a participant and while I don’t have any inclination to participate in such activity, I understand that some people have different desires. In the free world I had friends that were homosexual or lesbians. In here I have friends that are homosexual, and it doesn’t bother me because I judge people by who they are and not what they are. But, at the same time, I let them know I don’t want to engage or hear about it.

The unit that I am on has a PC section and it also has a high percentage of HIV and Hepatitis inmates. There is a high percentage of homosexual/bisexual and recently in the last couple of years inmates transitioning. I would say that the percentage of sexually active inmates is around 35%. Rape here is rare as there are many inmates willing to participate in sexual activity in a relationship or some do it for commissary.

When someone files a complaint both the victim and perpetrator are locked up for investigation. From what I’ve seen is that the administration will give the victim the option of going to PC or back to population. Complaining does get one labelled a snitch. But there usually isn’t any type of repercussion behind it.

To engage in such activities if you are in cells guys will go into their cells and if their cellie is okay with it the cellie gives them the cell. Some will go into the showers as they have doors to block the view and they are individual showers. If they are in the dorms, they make a tenet out of a sheet and get under it. Some inmates do complain but fights are very few behind it.

The majority of the time if an inmate is caught the guards just tell them to quitl. Very rarely are they written up and given a disciplinary case. We have PREA (Prison Rape Elimination Act) but they don’t really enforce it. There have been instances of guards violating inmates but it usually is relationships between the female guards and inmates even though male guards has happened also.

I think allowing voluntary sex would create more problems because it would be allowed to be wide open. Some people don’t want to see it even if they know it happens. Also, if you allow homosexual activity you need to allow heterosexual activity also. How would that be arranged? Some guys are possessive of others and if that other person does something it could cause problems either with that couple or with the other participant.

Yes, guys that are “straight” will engage in such activities. It’s funny because the mentality is “I’m not gay I’m getting my dick sucked”. In reality a lot of the homosexuals will start by getting done until a couple months later they tell the “straight” guy that they want their dick sucked or to have sex. Then the roles get reversed. They go for young, feminine types but a lot of times is someone with money so they can get commissary. An unwritten rule seems to be that if a homosexual guy approaches “straight” guy they will keep it confidential. If a “straight” guy approaches the homosexual they’re going to put it out there.

Being locked-up has not changed my attitudes because I was already accepting of other’s lifestyles. I am here on a sex offense and being in prison I know I am less likely to re-offend. Not because of any sexual experience but because the whole aspect of prison. Losing family and friends, the daily grind of prison life, but also because of the loss of affection, not just necessarily sex.

I hope this helps with your research. I would like to see a copy of the results

 

 

TX-107 OC = 6,7 Race = AI Kinsey = 0/0

I myself identify as a straight male. I’m 33 years old and never personally witnessed a sexual act. However, when you see 2 inmates go into a secluded area (and at least one identifies as homosexual) you know a sexual act will begin. A secluded area is usually a cell and/or shower area. On units like this one I’m currently at, we have single showers. At the same time, a sexual act can take place in one’s work area or religious service area.

Since I wasn’t a participant, these sexual acts don’t offend me as long as they meet the following: First, don’t approach me about anything homosexual related; Second, If you and your partner decide to have sex do it in the privacy of your own areas. As long as these people can commit these acts respectfully and do it in the secluded areas, then it don’t bother me because it’s not in my immediate area.

In my experiences of being around and doing time with inmates, I would say at least 40% are homosexuals, with another 20% that either tried it at least once, or are not in the open about it (still in the closet), or are yet to cross the line (but will).

To be honest, rape/involuntary sex isn’t common, about half of the homosexual only indicate this for they can be admitted into Protective Custody (PC). Because mostly it’s them in them living areas and they rather be in their own environment. If one files a complaint behind a coercive relationship, either one or everyone involved will be sent to Administrative Segregation. You’re in a cell by yourself for 23 hours a day and if they are short on staff you don’t come out, nor do you get the chance to shower. In Texas prison it don’t matter if the relationship is consensual or not. Everyone gets punished for it, sometimes one might get out of it if they lie and say they were raped. Also, for participating in a sexual act in Texas, you could receive an extra stacked sentence under the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA). Before Bush became president, in 2000, he put this Act into effect. And of course one is labeled a snitch for telling of a rape.

But like I’ve stated before, most of the time it’s consensual and for the most part all parties will go to a selected area to do their thing.

Some people do complain, but mainly those who complain are the ones who are jealous because they aren’t involved. Everyone has a comment, usually they don’t agree with it but as long as it don’t affect them then it won’t escalate.

Like I’ve stated above, if you’re aught by the guards, you could get seg behind it. And you’ll receive a disciplinary case behind… [ellipses in original] which is the least of your worries.

Yeah, some guards will violate an inmate in a sexual way. It just ain’t common. You’ll mostly see them disrespecting a homosexual than anything.

My honest opinion, if voluntary sex is allowed in Texas prisons it would create a bunch of problems. People already fight over the one that identifies as a female, so you could imagine if it was legal to participate in these acts. Also my personal belief is some of these gangs will take advantage of an existing rule like that. Prostitution will be rampant around here and will spread across to other units. Then that’ll be another issue behind money or if one wants to prostitute for someone else.

Yeah, there’s plenty of guys who claim to be straight (in civilian) life but participate in these acts while doing their sentence. Most likely they’ll probably stop once they get out and will most likely never admit with being involved with another male. The patterns about them have is they look at the same sex with a lust in their eyes and treat them like a real life girlfriend, a lot of them claim to be married. It’s really slang for them two being in a relationship. None of the other ones will go after the younger ones, especially if they want to turn them out, also known as convert them into homosexuals, whether it to be to make one a girl or as to finding a man. A lot of these dudes want the feminine types just like the feminine ones want the manly ones. Some feminine types approach and some don’t. All depends on the person.

As I’ve stated earlier, I’m straight, so I’ve never experienced any of these acts first hand, so it don’t change my attitude about homosexuality. I respect each individual as long as they respect me.

It’s funny cause they allow bras for transgenders in here and they got strip searched earlier in a different area or different time. Also the Texas prison system provides them with the medicale care and treatment to transition to the opposite sex, whether they be in general population or PC, yet they won’t allow us graphic pornographic material or conjugal visits.

I hope all of this has helped you in some way with your research, if you have any more questions you can reach me at my address that I will leave behind on my book listing.

Thank you for letting me be a part of this project and for letting me express my thoughts.

 

 

FED-192 OC = 1 Race = W Kinsey = 4/2

  1. I identify as a male.
  2. I am 54 years old.
  3. I have witnessed many instances of prison sex.
  4. I am very open sexually and very tolerant of others’ activities. As long as it’s consensual for all, then I would never be offended.
  5. I believe about 30% of the population in my prison is sexually active.
  6. In my 5 years in prison, I have never witnessed or even heard about any instance of rape.
  7. Any complaint to the C.O.’s results in a trip to the SHU for all parties while an investigation is completed. It usually takes about 30 days. The inmate who goes to the CO is labeled as a snitch but I’m on a very low security protective custody yard & many guys here are known snitches. No one does any more than gossip about snitches.
  8. As far as I know, all sex is consensual here.
  9. Privacy is always an issue. We have some mop closets that are used late at night, as well as T.V. rooms that are empty after midnight. Showers and bathroom stalls are also option here. I am personally in an old unit built in the 1940’s that has 2 man rooms with doors, so when my cellie is working, I have plenty of privacy.
  10. Of course, some inmates complain about sex activity. Some very straight, uptight guys or the ultra-closeted homos are the usual whiners.
  11. Getting caught by CO’s is totally up to the individual CO. Some will ask to be sure it’s consensual, lecture a bit and let it go. Others will send you to the straight to the SHU.
  12. I have never heard of any guards even attempting any sexual activity by pressure.
  13. I believe that allowing sex, with basic rules of consent & decorum, would help reduce tensions greatly. It’s a basic human need.
  14. No easy answer there. Sexuality is a huge range of attitudes & behaviors & everyone is different. Some straight guys can accept blowjobs in prison, some chase transgendered men who want to be women, some go after the feminine “girlie” guys and some are more openly bisexual. It’s a constant topic of conversation for the gays to be talking about which men will have sex & how far they will go.
  15. I am a bisexual man leaning more toward homosexual, but I’m married to a woman and we’ve been together for 37 years. I wasn’t faithful to her alone before prison and had men on the side occasionally, but prison has made me much more active with men because that’s my only outlet for now. When I get out, I believe it will be much easier for me to have sex with men just because I will be much more accustomed to it. It may well cause problems in my marriage. She’s been tolerant of my past indiscretions, but I used to be much more guarded & careful. I am in for a sex offense and I do not believe that anything in prison will help me not to re-offned. It is a system that fosters life-long inmates.
  16. As a bisexual whose case involved pictures of young men, I was open and out when I came in and have remained out. I mostly associate with other gays. I’m not exactly popular but the guys who are willing to be sexually active are certainly more friendly & accepting than those who won’t. On this yard, I don’t see any real victimization of gays and no one needs protection. But it does keep a segregation between gays, straights who will play, and straights who won’t. The cliques don’t really mingle much.

 

I am very open to any further questions you might have and will help in any way I can. I would love to see any results that you compile to publish. Thank you for your concern for inmates.

 

 

TX-63 OC = 5 Race = Mixed Kinsey = 0/0

  1. I identify myself as GOD made me; a male.
  2. 54 years old.
  3. Yes I have witnessed sexual activity in prison and it’s fucking gross.
  4. It did not offend but, but the way I see things, God made Adam & Eve not Adam & Steve.
  5. Hard to say but at the prison I am at there are right at 4000 inmates with 48 to a pod and there is at lest one Punk in every pod. They are up for anything.
  6. You do not hear too much about rape here but it does happen. They are [sic] so many faggots that the sick fucks who want to fuck a man has no problems.
  7. Pretty much everyone minds their own business.
  8. Yes
  9. Shower, cells, some are very open about it.
  10. Yes
  11. Wrote up and given punishment (no commissary, no rec, cell restricted) for up to 30 days.
  12. Not that I’ve heard of here.
  13. Definitely would cause more problems if it was okay to do whatever you want.
  14. Yes, all it takes is one punk to show up on a pod who claims to be a female and guys would never dream that would engage with a fag will come straight out.
  15. Homosexuality is wrong has always been wrong and it will stay being wrong. My life is with a female and will always be with a female. No I am not in prison for a sex crime.
  16. No I’ve never been part of the sick alphabet group and never will be. I prefer to not even acknowledge them.

What is truly sad in here is you have people who really need medical attention for different things. They are turned away being told the system does not cover that. But if you want to grow titties and pretend to be a female with ad ick they will spend all the money possible to help you get them. It’s really sad to see this. If a man thinks he is a woman he does not need tits he needs some mental health. It’s not ok to be gay. It’s never been okay to be gay, and it will never be ok to be gay.

It’s messed up that with society accepting it that they are trying to force it on everyone. When OBAMA (the idiot he is) lit up the Whitehouse with the queer colors he tried to tell this great nation it’s ok to suck dick (man on man) when it’s a clear violation of god.

p.s. Hope that my answers help with your study. Sorry to be blunt but it is what it is.

 

 

FED-57 OC = 1,3 Race = W Kinsey = 5/5

  1. I am a male
  2. Soon to turn 39 in September.
  3. I’ve seen a little bit of action in my years since my arrest in 2009. It’s been mostly light-hearted play, but I’ve heard from others what they’ve done.
  4. When Iwas not participating, I’ve been tolerant, perhaps a bit embarrassed that others are less discreet and may draw unwanted attention by staff.
  5. This yard is strange. A rough estimate would be almost 10%! It changes with the ebb and flow of the population. There’s also been those who say they will never participate and in the course of a few years they do.
  6. I haven’t heard of much along those lines. I know it’s happened but I would speculate the majority of complains are crying-wolf to get others locked up in the SHU.
  7. Often said as a joke, the word “PREA” stands for the Prison Rape Elimination Act. It’s a serious policy that isn’t always taken seriously by staff nationwide. At this location all claims are treated with care. We have a large and respected transgender community and many accommodations are made for them in this area and other areas. This yard is a protective custody yard with plenty of inmates who have a 5kl governmental cooperation deal, or are gang dropouts who must “debrief” about gang activity to come her, so while “snitch” is used occasionally some inmates walk around openly claiming to be one without any danger to their person. Victims of PREA are rarely if ever persecuted and name calling is often forgotten after a while.
  8. I would say most definitely.
  9. Typically, in cells of either inmate behind closed doors. Bathrooms are the only other off camera ares where we are told one-at-a-time while they can accommodate 2+.
  10. Occasionally, complaints are heard about PDAs or jokes about it being out in the open, but out-of-sight-out-of-mind is generally the rule of thumb here. It happens frequently enough that either the complaining party snitches or transfers to another yard.
  11. When inmates are caught the lieutenant investigates. Provided both/all parties claim it to be consensual, they are issues a “moderately severe” incident report and receive disciplinary segregation for a few months. If one party is caught frequently or has predatory behavior the chances of a transfer increase.
  12. In the past year or so three rumors surfaced. A female custody officer, a male custody officer with a transsexual, and the sex offender management program coordinator with a sex offender. No verification on being consensual or not.
  13. As much as I’d like to see it allowed, it might not be the best policy at every location. Areas with a high religious or Aryan Brotherhood representation might risk hate-crime charges to attack voluntary participants because some hold high beliefs and life sentences. Others may prey on weaker inmates and without policy backing PREA, guards may neglect reporting truly endangered inmates. At a aplace like here, it would likely result in more exhibitionism. 🙂 ha! [smiley face and “ha” were both written into the letter]
  14. People choose or settle for what’s closest to their target ideal. Child sex crime inmates look for the youngest, heterosexuals; the most feminine. Most wouldn’t pass up a petite young fem (see #5) [again, this was written into the letter]
  15. Prison hasn’t changed my views, nor do they truly attempt rehabilitation. As with many, I will not reoffend because of my own choices not because anyone has told me so. Psychology is beginning to recognize pedophilia as an orientation, albeit a criminal one, like homosexuality was a century ago. Legalizing porn in prison and child porn in general will decrease prison populations (what isn’t illegal isn’t prosecuted) and tensions from lack of relief while in prison.
  16. Others like to defend me based on personality not orientation. Those who don’t know me prefer to victimize me though I don’t let them. My popularity has more to do with my near 6 year relationship (rare even outside of prison) than my orientation.

 

 

FED-54 OC = 3 Race = W Kinsey = 3/3

  1. I identify as male
  2. 38-years-old.
  3. Yes, I’ve personally never had sex, but have seen at least heavy petting, in the prelude of sex. Usually prisoners are discrete about it less they get caught and put in the SHU…
  4. I’m tolerant to petting, but anything more should be done in absolute privacy, which is extremely hard in prison.
  5. Weird thing is that a sex offender prison it is only at about 10 percent. Usually, the sex revolves around the real flamboyant homosexuals, transgenders who haven’t fully had their surgeries, and the few homosexual couples who share a cell.
  6. The frequency of coercion or rape is rare at the sex offender prisons as it is real laid back. At other prisons, that I’ve been to that have a small percentage of S.O.’s and other criminal natures are prevalent, amazingly it becomes more common. And what I mean by S.O.’s are child-oriented S.O.’s whereas adult-oriented S.O.’s are just aggressive altogether.
  7. People poke fun at PREA a lot as this prison is very easy going. Threats to S.O.’s are almost non-existent and sexual aggression is suppressed by fellow inmates if exposed. The times that I’ve seen PREA used the inmate was able to go to Psychology or the Lieutenants Office and both alleged victim and perp were put in segregation until an investigation was undertaken. Ultimately, one resulted in dropped charges, another both were released with an understanding, and in yet another one was transferred. I’ve only heard of rape charges from other institutions. Usually if an inmate says something to Psychology, then everyone will know not to fuck around with him/her anymore, period.
  8. I think that most sex is voluntary and consensual here, but that is only my perception. Some do so for money or store, yet that is their prerogative. Some inmates look like children themselves so they get extra attention by many trying to seduce them for sex or relationships. Then the inmates who try to protect them are actually trying to seduce them for sex themselves. If they look young, then they have to be “protected” as they say.
  9. I’ve had homosexual inmates from my Air-Conditioned unit change to a non-A/C’ed unit because our unit is five-man cells, while others are just two man. This ultimately renders them some privacy. The ones who stay will usually sneak to the showers late at night/early morning. Or they’ll go to the bleachers in the recreation, or even into other units to engage in sexual relations.
  10. If anyone complains it is because they had the unfortunate means of encountering unsolicited sexual activity. Otherwise, most just laugh about it when rumors spread of inmates caught. The protocols of homo/bi/trisexuality – the so-called heterosexuals run with trannies – is to do it in privacy. If homosexual activity were to become public and others witness it involuntarily, this comes to the detriment of homosexuality altogether. So those who practice it try to keep it private, if possible.
  11. Inmates caught having sex with guards, I believe, are usually disciplined and transferred. The guards are usually terminated and charged with sex crimes. The unions cannot protect them from this. Inmates caught by guards are generally put into the SHU and undergo disciplinary procedures.
  12. I’ve known times that guards have been sexual with inmates, whereas they have always been voluntary for both sides. One guard was caught and fired and charged. Transgenders are the main ones who complain to make sure the guards follow PREA protocol with them. Once a guard here accidentally strip-searched inmates at visitation in front of a mother and child. He was disciplined accordingly I believe, but this could be just rumor.
  13. As far as reducing tension, it might help with issues of anxiety amongst inmates. If there were a place for inmates to have conjugal and for inmates with inmates, it’d sure help against violations, maybe stress, and from the spread of STD’s by allowing protection to be used in this place at a certain time. If it is done outside of the place and time, then it’d treated as a violation, period. Then there is no excuse. The only problem I can see is in the case of a pregnancy by the outsider visiting, or the female prisoner. Such should be appreciable to the consequences to the consequences knowing that they’ll have to give custody to the free partner, and possibly pay child support.
  14. I’ve known straight men who are attracted to women/girls go into the “prison” homosexual mode. If they are pedophiliac then they tend toward the younger looking inmates, and the ones who profess to be still straight will be steady with trans-gendered inmates. Even some pedophiliac guys will proclaim straight, but go after young looking, boyish, inmates, just to keep the general homosexual population from them. They’re only bisexual pedophilically [sic]. So it’s weird, but modernity allows for such proclaimed sexual identities, right?
  15. I used to religiously preach against the homosexuality and promiscuity, yet I was engaged in downloading pornography, including child pornography. Now, I’ve opened up to the existence of different sexualities. My prison experience has liberalized my perception and hope that societal perception could follow. Basically, I believe no one should offend the law anymore to stay out of prison and to keep from victimization. Instead they could advocate for change, like a new age-of-consent structure. Once the social attitude and law reflects such, then one can proceed without consequences of victimizing anyone, or going to prison. I’ve learnt to appreciate having an adult partner too. As a S.O. I’d probably look to a female from a foreign country. She’d more likely be receptive to me and attractive as a petite, Asian woman.

Thank you for the opportunity to share. My opinions aren’t absolute and are subject to change. Also I’d love to see the results.

 

 

IN-2 OC = 1 Race = Mixed Kinsey = 2/2

  1. Male
  2. 57
  3. Yes
  4. I’m tolerant to most anything, long as all parties are agree with it and not being forced into it!
  5. 5%
  6. 3%
  7. A) protective custody B) Snitch
  8. Most are coercive due to the persons case and done over time to make them feel it is best for them.
  9. In cells with something over window and a look out
  10. They call them names like figs [I’m not sure if he meant “fags” but I didn’t want to assume]
  11. The guard tells everyone both inmates and staff, they get contact report and go to lock up!
  12. Yes it happens, but not very often.
  13. I say create more problems, cause you cannot make sure there is no coerciveness; but if you could then it would reduce tensions.
  14. A) yes B) most of them still knock same sex to their straight friends; because they don’t want anyone knowing they are C) most wish to be approached by others in prisons by younger guys who seem straight acting.
  15. A) no change B) no C) I like to say yes, but I know lot of people say the same thing and come back to prison were they not trying to [sic]
  16. A) yes B) I hide it in prison; because it makes you less popular and hard to get some jobs C) if you open you’re more liable to be victimized and if you have a sex change with that label, even more likely to be victimized; because they see you as prey! The other inmates say he deserved it because of his changes.

PS [illegible] prison should give condoms by the doctor; even if it is not legal to do.

 

 

FED-257 OC = 3 Race = W Kinsey = 4/5

  1. I identify as male.
  2. 36 years old.
  3. Yes, I have personally witnessed signs of sexual activity in prison. Such as, inmates entering secluded areas together or attempting to conceal their arousal. I have witnessed inmates enter a cell together and cover the window in the door, to prevent their activity from being seen; as well as when the window covering is removed, and more than one inmate is in the cell. I have entered into a cell, where two inmates were alone together, in close physical proximity to each other, and upon my entrance, had to adjust their clothing and bodies to attempt to conceal erections. I have also been told of sexual exploits by participants.
  4. As a non-participant, the activity did not offend me, having engaged in such behavior myself. If such activity were not kept private, I would probably be offended, depending on the situation and participants.
  5. Based upon my experience and observations, 10-25% of the inmate population is sexually active with other inmates. This is difficult to judge as few inmates are public about their sexual activity. Also, depending on the physical structure of the prison, most sexual activity takes place in the privacy of a cell and/or late at night, when the acts cannot be observed
  6. Based upon my experience and observations, involuntary, coercive sex, or rape is very rare. I have heard of only three (3) instances of coercive sex in the ten years I have been incarcerated. The first instance involved an openly gay/transgendered inmate that owed a significant gambling debt and was encouraged to payoff the debt with sex. The other two instances involved younger inmates (early 20’s), who were routinely given “gifts,” then encouraged to return the favor with sexual acts. Both inmates had limited to no outside contact with family or friends and limited to no outside financial support, meaning the “gifts” they received were valuable to them significantly in alleviating the monotony and increasing comfort.
  7. Reporting of any sexual activity will result in both inmates being confined to the Special Housing Unit (SHU/”hole”), pending an investigation. I would not label a victim being placed in protective custody as a punishment. The reporting of an inmate can potentially cause retaliatory actions by other inmates. The complainant is not usually labelled as a “snitch” for reporting unwanted sexual advances or activities. Most inmates tend to be supportive of a victim. Being labelled as a “snitch” usually occurs because of repetitive informing on other inmates, especially when the informant is not involved or affected by the reported activity.
  8. I believe almost all of the sexual activity occurring in this prison is voluntary and consensual between all parties.
  9. Finding privacy to engage in sexual activities is extremely difficult. The most common location in federal prisons is in a single man or 2-man cell. Most inmates who engage in sex will cover the window in the door, if having sex during the day, or wait until late at night, if their sexual partner lives in the cell with them. Unfortunately, most sexual partners do not live in the same unit, let alone the same cell. So, they must sneak into a unit or engage in a bathroom stall in a public restroom. For inmates who live in the open dorms, the common location to have sex is in the showers, late at night, if their sexual partner is not privileged to reside in a cell.
  10. Inmates will complain about sexual acts usually only when those acts interfere with the complaining inmates. (i.e. an inmate who wants to take a shower or get into their cell, but the shower or cell is being used for a sexual liaison.) Most commonly, inmates will gossip about who is having sex with whom.
  11. Inmates who are caught in sexual situation by guards are initially publicly shamed by the officer. The guard will make a scene, loudly announcing for the inmates to stop their behavior, getting the attention of all other inmates in the area. After being paraded in front of the crowd, the inmates are taken to medical for an exam and then placed in confinement pending an investigation.
  12. I have never heard, observed or experienced a guard sexually violating an inmate.
  13. Allowing voluntary sex in prison will both reduce tensions and create more problems. Allowing homosexual acts in prison without allowing for heterosexual inmates to have sex will create significant problems between the two populations. Also, locations where sexual acts can occur would have to be strictly controlled – public sexual acts would cause major disruptions. Further, allowing unrestricted sexual liaisons would create social drama. To allow voluntary sex in prison, you would need to create a special prison environment with staff trained to overcome their opinions and beliefs and deal with sensitive situations that would arise. I have concern that allowing sex may create situations in which inmates with poor impulse control (prevalent in inmates) rape or otherwise sexually assault another inmate or staff member. Even displays of innocuous sexual activity are considered to be, legally, a form of sexual harassment for those that must work in an environment with such displays.

On the other side, by allowing homosexual inmates (and conjugal visits for heterosexual inmates) to engage in sex will lessen aggression, anxiety and other inappropriate behaviors. In addition, allowing sex in prison can encourage and help inmates to build healthy, safe, legal and consensual sexual relations and habits.

  1. Yes, men who are straight engage in sex with other men while in prison. They tend to be discreet and will usually only engage in sexual activity with other discreet men. It seems they prefer younger straight-acting men, not masculine but not feminine. Initial sexual contact for straight men is usually made by approach from another, but after the initial encounter, they themselves will seek out further encounters or partners.
  2. My sexual practices have changed, the age and type of person I would have a relationship with has also changed. In prison, I consider a broader selection of men, but I am much more hesitant to engage in any sexual activity than I was outside prison. This is due to both concern of STDs and discovery by other inmates or staff and the repercussions that would follow. As well as, a lack of desire to become invested in another person in this type of environment.

I believe that my sex life after getting out of prison will be different. I will consider different partners than I would have before; my age will be advanced, which will affect my desirability and my physical activity; financially I will be far behind my peers and much time will have to be devoted to work and re-establishing myself, so less time for dating or relationships; the stigma of my conviction will cause potential partners to decline to become involved with me; and I will have limited social opportunities to find partners.

I am in prison for a sex offense, and yes, my overall experience will make me, personally, less likely to re-offend. The loss of freedom, but more importantly, the loss of opportunity to achieve my goals, has caused what little time I have remaining in my life, when I get out, to be so valuable that I cannot afford to waste it. My continued compliance with the law will not be due to any rehabilitative efforts by the prison, as there have been no meaningful attempts, but rather due to my personal drive for enrichment.

  1. I was aware of my sexuality before coming to prison, although I still questioned and struggled with it. This is no longer the case. Having had ample time for introspection, I am now comfortable with who I am.

My sexual preferences are not ap public matter and I do not believe anyone else’s need to be. The only people who need to know are yourself and a potential partner. If a person wishes to be public, that is their option, however, I still feel private matters should remain private, no matter a person’s sexuality.

In light of the above, my sexual identity has not affected me socially in any way. Though, if it were to become public knowledge, it would make me less popular, more socially stigmatized, and more liable to be victimized by other prisoners. Perhaps not sexually assaulted but in other ways hindered.

 

 

FED-246 [this singular envelope contained 5 individual response letters. Only one was signed, and it was signed with a pseudonym each will be delineated with a lighter grey line. When I move onto the next envelope, it will be delineated with the usual black line]

  1. Male
  2. 24
  3. Yes
  4. Was participant
  5. 60%
  6. Not frequent at all
  7. It is usually a positive response though some inmates view it as snitching
  8. Yes
  9. We have single person cells so you can just put up a curtain and people know to not bother you
  10. A minority do, but here it is more widely accepted than most places
  11. They are separated, sent to the disciplinary unit and written a shot (incident report)
  12. No
  13. Reduce tensions and increase happiness
  14. Some straight men do and they tend to lean toward more feminine types
  15. Having a healthy, loving relationship I believe reduces recidivism rates. My opinion hasn’t changed.
  16. At this facility (Marion) it has allowed me to have a community and somewhat more popular. Non–LGBT have come to accept it for the most part. Here I would say more liable to protection.
  1. Some degree
  2. 28
  3. Y
  4. Cool
  5. 30%
  6. 0
  7. Both
  8. Voluntary
  9. Hiding
  10. Yes
  11. Write up
  12. No
  13. Reduce
  14. Little bit of all
  15. Y
  16. Protection
  1. Some degree of transgender
  2. 40
  3. Yes
  4. No
  5. 60%
  6. Yes
  7. No
  8. Yes
  9. Curtain
  10. Not really
  11. Go to the sits [sic]
  12. No
  13. Reduce tensions
  14. Yes
  15. No, no, no
  16. Hasn’t, none, protected

——————–

  1. I identify as heterosexual male. I was born this way.
  2. I am thirty eight years, four months, and fourteen days old. I expect a card mid-march
  3. Yes, I have seen sexual activity in prison. Here, there isn’t more than kissing or holding hands (of what I’ve seen). At my previous institution, there has been groping and hand jobs. In both cases, doors have been closed, or curtains have gone up with two men known to be dating behind it. I have not however seen what happens behind said curtain.
  4. No act another person does offends me as long as I am not involved or privy to the knowledge. I hope everyone is happy and that their happiness does not cause any other harms.
  5. At my pervious institution, I’d guess 15-25%. Here, I assumed half. I actually asked ten people. 8 of them all said the exact same number of 75%. The remaining two averaged to the same 75%.
  6. I can thankfully say I don’t know of any case of rape or coercive sex. I do know a couple where the “top” is a very dominant person, but the “bottom” in the relationship is a very happy submissive partner. I have met one other person who claimed to have been raped, but I cannot confirm his story. This is of the 3 thousand or so inmates I have interacted with in the last twelve years.
  7. In federal prison, the Prisoner Rape Elimination Act (PREA) gives those who need it a way of reporting anonymously. I have not seen these victims and thus am unaware of any labels.
  8. Yes, absolutely and all of it to my knowledge
  9. Here, they have “privacy curtains” that attach to the entryway to hide behind. Only the officer will peek in to check, and they do this only during their walks. People adjust and plan accordingly.
  10. Very few complain here. More complained at my previous spot; however, they were the minority in this regard.
  11. At my previous institution, when caught, the inmates would do average 45 days in the Special Housing Unit (SHU). If either complained, the other inmate would be shipped. When both consented, they would be relocated to different housing from each other only to meet on the rec yard and continue where they left off. Here, I know of no specific case yet.
  12. No. The guards haven’t done this to my knowledge. There is one officer that gives a very in-depth pat down that makes me think she would have bought me dinner first.
  13. Reduce tensions significantly. At least until one of them wanted to do this on the rec yard in front of everyone. They barely tolerate the transgenders walking around in a bra (with shorts).
  14. I have seen “straight” men with transgenders. I hear them say the transgenders are women and it’s okay. I have heard “if you quit x weeks before you go home, it is okay” (this number varies). I also knew a guy who “did it for the money”. There is no pattern to this. Masculine, feminine, young, old, big, small, and anything in between.
  15. No. I am still indifferent toward homosexuality. I will not participate in any of their activities and do not allow anyone to joke about my sexuality. I do not care what they do and again hope they’re happy. I am in prison for a sex offense that involved digital victims I’ve never seen before. I will not reoffend as I don’t want any of that stuff anymore. I won’t have as much as a speeding ticket. I’ve learned my lesson. I don’t want to come back ever. Yet I still have decades to waste here, all while drug offenders still do drugs here, leave, and come back only to leave again.
  16. Since I wasn’t and am not LGBT I can’t add much. I am a decent person to all so the giant LGBT community respects me as I do them. They have a vast network here and protection, if not respect, from the officers.

——————–

  1. Male
  2. 23
  3. Yes, in both consensual and non-consensual situations.
  4. I have been both a consensual and non-consensual participant.
  5. The majority of the populations at my facility are part of the LGBTQ+ community and the ones who are not are quite cordial with us. So, one can conclude that at least 65% to 70% are (or have) participated in these activities.
  6. At this facility, involuntary, coercive activities that are reported to the authorities is very seldom heard of; however, I cannot specifically clarify how often this happens at this facility. At the non-safer, non-friendly institutions, it is extremely common that involuntary activities happen. Regarding proper safety procedures to prevent intrusive and unwanted behavior, the BOP does not take into account proper living situations for the more vulnerable inmates. They force Trans and more effeminate gay men to live with whomever they want to without looking out for their safety.
  7. I personally have been held in the Special Housing Unit for 11 months because other inmates would not leave me alone. I get punished by the BOP just for trying to be safe and ultimately has trained me to just “deal with it”. It’s either get assaulted an placed in the SHU for “my safety” and then we get treated like someone who got into a fight or received disciplinary action (unable to make phone calls or living as normal of a life as someone like me can in prison).
  8. For what I know, it’s voluntary.
  9. It is difficult and to be honest I don’t go out of my way to find it.
  10. At this facility, you hear people complain about it. However, they are usually the ones who are partaking in these activities.
  11. They get placed in the SHU and one typically gets shipped to another facility.
  12. Yes, there are a plethora of staff who takes advantage of their positions and authority.
  13. Personally, I am indifferent about how it could help. As someone who is smaller than the average inmate, it can be hard to justify why I would say yes to this question. If it became allowed, I can say that I would not feel 100% safe because of the types of people who are in prison. This is why I think the system needs to focus more on rehabilitation than punishment.
  14. Always. And yes, most of the “straight” guys tend to go for the more feminine/female-looking ones because we’re the closest to a female. A lot of the “straight” guys are on keeping things on the down low.
  15. I am currently serving a 20-year sentence and no; I don’t think being here is helping me. I was openly gay out in the real world, so being gay in prison has changed my view on how I live my life or how others live theirs. However, I am more distrusting towards everyone I meet due to not knowing who or what these people want in return. “do they have nefarious motivations or are they genuinely nice people?” is something I have to ask myself with everyone I meet.
  16. Confirming my answer to question 15, the LGBTQ community is vicious toward each other, which makes non-LGBTQ inmates see us as drama-filled, weaker, and nothing but invidious people. Since we cannot stand together as a family like we should, the chances of being hurt are greater to someone who falls under the “weird” status.

I am a 23-year-old inmate who is sending this questionnaire through someone else to keep my identity secure. I am currently residing at Marion, IL at the USP facility dealing with hatred by the guards and warden who don’t care about the trans community let alone the large gay population at this facility.

We need change!

Signed: Little Monster [emphasis in original]

——————–

TX-356 OC = 1 Race = W Kinsey = 2/2

I am responding to your questionnaire survey given to me by another offender. I am interested in hearing more about your Foundation, your book program and your questionnaires as a means to improve life to those incarcerated such as myself.

The survey I was given is titled, “Questionnaire on Sex in Prison”. I hope the answers I give will be informative and helpful. I do believe there should be some reform in prisons concerning consensual sex in prison.

First, I’ll start with your opening paragraph…. [ellipses in original] Yes all forms of sex are banned in Texas prisons. My belief is that no-one or no institution has the right to forbid anyone of a consensual age to have consensual sex regardless of sexual orientation. I also believe it would be beneficial to house two who consent to mutual housing to be housed as such. This allows for a degree or privacy. This also keeps down trouble from those who do not agree to such activities and doesn’t offend others. Otherwise offenders are forced to use areas such as showers. This increases hostilities between offenders as a form of disrespect. Banning sex is very harmful both physically and mentally. Sexual frustrations are very real. They cause anger which causes security concerns. Prisoners have been killed by such sexual frustration outbursts. I feel that is just what the prisons want or should I say the governing bodies want. They can’t get the public support they need if they can’t show criminals in a non-rehabilitative state. They can’t see how violent and bad they are. We need your support to keep them locked up and the streets safe for you. We’re here to protect you and other such P.R. babble. Offenders are always going to have sex with each other no matter what prison policies may state. It is far better for the institutions to accept that and to take actions that reduce prison rape with compatible housing arrangements and providing condoms to reduce health issues. Acceptance is an overall better policy than banning it is. When Texas banned pornographic material, I saw the increase in sexual tension. Of course, they will deny sexual tension had anything to do with the fights that occurred. Outright lying is a standard procedure for prison P.R. policy. The public doesn’t see this because they don’t live it and believe the institutions are righteous and incorruptible. They are always right and offenders always wrong. Yes I will admit there is bitterness in my words but it is well earned bitterness by having to live with the hypocrisy of the system. Even most of the rules in their policy is meant for nothing more than a means for guards to harass offenders in the name of security. Now, I’ll get to your questions on the following page.

  1. My sex is male. In that regard I am homosexual. Though I identify as transgender female.
  2. I’m a healthy 54 years of age.
  3. Yes, I’ve seen sex in prison but usually try not to see as a means of minding my own business.
  4. The times I wasn’t a participant yes I was tolerant but also offended. I believe they should keep it private. It is difficult to do because you have to wait for the right time to have such privacy but some act like they can’t wait. Other times I’m offended due to the area they chose to have some form of sex. For example, going to a religious area to have sex. No matter what religious service it is I think of that as the greatest of disrespects. Some are forced to do it that way. Yes, they could follow policy and abstain but that’s never going to happen. No human is perfect and will break any rule or law they consider wrong. Everyone does wrong in one form or another whether it’s moral, ethical, or unlawful. That is a fact that will remain true until humans no longer exist.
  5. On my unit, I’d say that it’s a low percentage those having sex. Maybe 20%. I’ve heard it’s a lot higher on some units though.
  6. The unwanted sex is very low on my unit. PREA has really slowed that form of sex.
  7. When a complaint of coercive sex is reported. It is usually the victim who gets uprooted so to speak. During an investigation a victim is housed in solitary confinement. If the complaint is validated one or the other is moved to another unit. If not validated, then the victim is just housed away from the perpetrator. Either the perpetrator stays away because of PREA or reinitiates contact even going out of his or her assigned area.
  8. Yes in general on my unit at least almost all sex is consensual by all due to the scare of PREA. At least in Texas prisons changed away from most of the bad stuff but there is still some violence. Texas is still in the dark ages so to speak. Other states have a great many more things than Texas. For example, it’s only been a few years that we’ve had phones and most units still have no air-conditioning. Texas still have offenders every year die of heat related summer deaths.
  9. Privacy is found though not total privacy by manipulating a housing move to get together or sometimes in single showers or going out of place to another’s housing until the next house call.
  10. Few actually complain to guards about others who engage in sex but do to other offenders. Most heterosexuals still don’t approve of homosexuality. Though, they give reluctant acceptance or tolerance only because there’s little they can do but become a snitch. That is still a bad label to most people.
  11. Those who are caught are locked up in confinement for an investigation. They will try to get one to cry rape to press charges but most in Texas now days have so much time another charge is laughed at. If the act is verified but consensual besides punishment the two aer separated either by different housing arrangements or one or both are sent to separate units.
  12. I haven’t heard of or seen guard sexual acts coerced or consensual in a long time, but it’s suspected to still go on mostly in a consensual way. Coercion is now more trouble than it’s worth at least in a male Texas prison.
  13. I believe allowing voluntary sex will reduce tension and other problems. The main problem it would create is more administrative and housing problems. Like two have a lovers spat and want to get moved then they make up and want to move back type of problems. There can be health problems as availability of condoms may be a problem. Some may not want to go get the condoms due to not wanting any attention on themselves. Stigma or harassment by staff or offenders. Others just don’t like to use condoms. In general, I believe more and more will start using condoms as attitudes change. Thereby eventually lowering health issues. It just takes time to change that the institutions don’t want to give.
  14. I believe all men have a slight curiosity about same sex. I’ve seen a study on that but I don’t remember the percentages. To one degree or another Yes, most straight men will try same sex. It all depends on different factors such as forbidden in some gangs or religions or how much time and offender has and how long they’ve done on that time. Some even go so far as to excuse it by saying I am still the man doing the penetrating not the other way around. The change in them will probably only be more tolerant or in some a full turnaround to acceptance. Very few will wait to be approached if they start thinking about doing it. Almost none will approach another straight man even if a close friend as one can be here. Trust isn’t very strong in prison. Under most times it will be one they already know is bisexual or homosexual. Yes, a lot of times the choice is with one younger or of a feminine type, but they find out first if they will keep quiet about it. That is until those few who convert so to speak come out of the closet so to speak.
  15. The only thing my sexual experience in prison has changed for me is I’m more careful who I’m with and to lean more toward homosexuality. You see I was bisexual in the world. My general attitudes haven’t changed. If or when I’m freed yes, my life will be almost completely homosexual and transgender at least in dressing as female most often and always all female underwear. I am in prison for two sexual offenses and yes most definitely my experience in prison has changed me where I’ll never re-offend.
  16. Like I said earlier I was bisexual in the world. I even considered myself heterosexual and closeted bisexual. In my small town I didn’t know the greater world of LGBT so I never associated myself in that way. When I did come out as gay in prison, it did make me more popular both by those who desired sex with me and the LGBT offenders. Like they could see it in me but I had to come out to myself. The only reason I did was because I felt safe where I was housed and from how I learned to survive in prison. It was real hard for me at first and yes I was a victim of rape in my early years. I was scared and didn’t report it. Now the predators see my confidence and know I’ll report it. That is also something I had to learn. That in turn also made me feel safer in prison. Though it’s still bad enough to make me never re-offend. I never found any real protection from other offenders. Like I said true trust is hard to find and so are true friends. Coming out just made me feel more confident and less afraid and had no tolerance for being a victim again. I won’t either unless physically overpowered. Then I’m going to get DNA evidence one way or another. I’ve empowered myself by being true to myself instead of trying to hide and living in lies. I am who I am and won’t deny myself again.

 

 

PA-3 OC = 6 Race = W Kinsey = 2/3

  1. I identify as some degree transgender.
  2. 40
  3. I have not personally witnessed sexual activity in prison, but I have been involved in sexual activity in prison.
  4. If I was not involved, I did not care what others did as long as once, and a while, I got some from someone. So I tolerated it.
  5. This percentage would be very low, because fear of being told on, being caught and sent to the RHU, or labeled a homosexual. This is because PA has PREA which means Prison Rape Elimination Act.
  6. Not frequently at all for the person is afraid of being reported to PREA coordinator.
  7. Usually when the victim who reports what was going on to authorities he is put in protective custody and is labeled a snitch by other inmates.
  8. I know every person I had sex within prison was consensual, and voluntary with the people I had sex with.
  9. Either the cell up, or find somewhere that there are no cameras, and do a quickie.
  10. They not only complain about it. They also make fun of people who do it calling them names.
  11. They are written up and no matter if it was consensual or not both inmates are put on permanent Z Code (a person who requires a single cell)
  12. No, they too are afraid of getting reported to the PREA coordinator and then losing their job.
  13. I believe if you let voluntary sex in prison it would reduce tensions.
  14. I feel they do, and they adjust by hanging out with the person who mostly catches their eye which is either the feminine types, or the younger guys.
  15. My experiences as a participant has changed my look on homosexuality. I used to think homosexuality was wrong, and now I think it’s okay to be a homosexual and have sex with other people but this would not make one less likely to go re-offend in some way because I was in juvenile for a sex offense, and I still ended up in prison for aggravated assault. So I know I need something to ease my stress, and I know sex would do it.
  16. It has made me less popular among non-LGBT inmates, and I am more liable to victimization like name calling, among not only by inmates, but correctional officers too. This made my prison time harder.

 

 

TX-110 [he has a second answer set wherein he wrote on the questionnaire page]

OC = 5 Race = W Kinsey = 2/3

  1. Male
  2. 47
  3. Yes
  4. No
  5. 80%
  6. Often with gang members
  7. Yes, yes
  8. Yes
  9. Cells or workplaces
  10. Yes
  11. Locked up
  12. Yes
  13. Yes, and yes due to gang members
  14. [No answer, just underlined “same-sex” and “younger guys, more feminine types”]
  15. No
  16. [No answer again, just underlined “less popular” and “more liable to victimization or protection by other prisoners”]

 

 

FED-217 OC = 3 Race = W Kinsey = 0/0

  1. Male
  2. 70
  3. Yes
  4. No, don’t care
  5. 30%
  6. Don’t know
  7. Yes, yes
  8. Yes
  9. In cells
  10. Some does
  11. Shot and SHU
  12. Don’t know
  13. [No answer, just underlined “more problems”]
  14. Yes, don’t, [underlined “feminine types”], both
  15. Not a fag, no, no
  16. NOT ME, I AM A MAN

 

TX-22 OC = 9 Race = Mixed Kinsey = 3/3

  1. Male
  2. 42
  3. Yes
  4. Tolerant – this is prison
  5. A number of them
  6. Not as frequent as before
  7. Punishment of victim by administration
  8. Yes, most
  9. Inside cells
  10. Unknown
  11. Depends – some tolerant others are not
  12. Yes
  13. More problems
  14. A) yes b) younger and feminine
  15. A) yes B) yes C) no

[Question 16 appears to not have been answered, this bit of writing is not numbered]

Excessive amounts of strip searches do not help. Inmates get used to being naked because of prison staff and prison administration. Bringing back adult magazines, books, etc. would help greatly.

 

 

TX-71 OC= 1 Race = W Kinsey = 0/0

  1. I identify as male
  2. I am 59.5 years, will be 60 in December.
  3. Occasionally you see what many would call grab-assing.
  4. Not participant, as long as they don’t touch me, I don’t care, unless it causes a fight & our wing to be racked up for 24 plus hours while they investigate.
  5. Cannot answer that as I stay in cell a lot unless out for chow, commissary, or pill window. My cell is right across from dayroom. I hate being crammed into a dayroom.
  6. Do not know
  7. Have heard guys locked up for grab-assing. I’m sure some have gone into “PC”, but cannot confirm. You are always a “snitch” if you go to security.
  8. Don’t know
  9. Can’t answer that. Most cells are 2 man cells, unless in dorms. I don’t work. Cellie works. Am across from dayroom, so no privacy.
  10. Cannot say, as I avoid listening to anyone
  11. They are taken to closed security but cannot confirm if that happened or not.
  12. Yes; recently, a female guard was escorted from unit for sex with offender; offender talk, so not sure.
  13. Would create more problems
  14. Can not answer 1st part of 14; don’t know as I don’t ask or answer questions to that nature. Cannot answer 2nd question either. Cannot answer last 2 parts of questions, as I don’t know, don’t care.
  15. Do not care as long as don’t involve me. Cannot answer 2nd part of question. Am in prison for sexual offense that never happened. The judicial system in Texas is trash, as most systems are. At 48 years old I was sentenced to 75 years in prison. Will be between 78 and 79 years old when go before parole. Hopefully will be dead and buried by then + am a D.N.R. person, so don’t care.
  16. Was not LGBT identified before prison. I am myself, I don’t identify with no one – stay to myself, but someone touches me I will deal with it myself.

If you want to send a copy of results, feel free.

NC-1 OC = 1 Race = Mixed Kinsey = 4/4

Peace be upon you! First off I want to let you know your package mostly made it through on 23 June, except for the book entitled “Slovakian Boy”. That book was concerned on being openly promoting pedophilia/pederasty I had it mailed to friend of mine that would enjoy it.

Anyway, thanks for the books.

Now onto your questionnaire on “sex in prisons”/

I have been in prison since March 1984, all except for about eight months on appeal in 1993. When I first started this life sentence the system was a radically different system than it is today. All the way up to the mid-2000s homosexuality was fairly much the norm, and the guards mostly turned a jaded eye to the trysts and relationships amongst the convicts and yes sometime even a guard would indulge.

Today’s inmates are gang members or affiliates, and strongly homophobic to the point of assaulting, or trying to kill a homosexual, especially openly queen bee. Then about ten years ago the DPS Adult Corrections division instituted PREA (Prison Rape Elimination Act) to stop the rapes and coercion and even consensual acts.

Yes, the acts do happen quite often, but if an inmate tells an officer or other staff that he was coerced or raped then the inmate perpetrator is locked up in seg until there is a thorough investigation either corroborates or finds nothing to charge him with a sex crime. Woe is he if it corroborated, because he will not only be in seg on “Max Con” for at least five years, but also facing street charges too.

As for my, I consider myself bisexual with a leaning toward queer. I was born 9 December 1946 in Joppa, Israel. As for witnessing sexual activity in my early years on regular basis. Yep I was involved in consensual sex on occasion, as long as it’s not forced or coerced then I’m amenable [this word is near illegible] to it. Today I would say no more than 15% (+/-), and there is I know of ten or eleven flamboyant queens out of 750 inmates here.

Today an inmate being coerced, raped or involuntary sex acts is quite rare, and out of my six months here, again, there has been one “rape” I know of. There has been quite a few PREA accusation on inmates, but so far none substantiated as I know of. Most of the time when an inmate puts in a complaint either to a guard, staff, or even by phone hot-line, the inmate once in a while does wind up on “Protective Custody” if the inmate complainant fears for his life, and maybe the guards sometimes do err on the side of extreme caution just to cover their asses. Yes there is guards and even situations that will/would punish a complainant just because they can and more or less get away with it, unless the complainants family gets involved. As for being labeled a “snitch” well in some cases yes, but not often. It depends where he is at, and his situation, and who he is whether or not he has a bad reputation already.

I would say yes there is voluntary and consensual trysts and relationships going on, and I know I have heard of on one unit of a marriage being performed between a couple of gay men.

Privacy… well that’s a rare occurrence because most units are open dorms, unless I get transferred to one of rare single cell units which there is four or five units out of fifty-five units in [illegible, I think it may be the name of his institution] There is also a couple of two man per cell units.

As for complaints from inmates on inmates about sex acts… rarely because that could get them labeled a snitch by their peers.

As for being caught by the guards on occasion a new guard will react by locking up both inmates but usually the old jaded guards look the other way and give the trysters a warning and that’s it.

As for guards and inmates in sexual situations I have heard of consensual trysts, but not any guard rapes, at least on the male units. As for the female units the male guards there are paired with a female guard to appease their integrity, but then again, I’d say it could happen.

Yes, consensual and voluntary relationships and trysts would reduce stress and tensions, and unfortunately with these new freed inmates, gang bangers that are homophobic it would cause definite trouble.

Yes, I have known “straight” men engage in gay sex, especially if he is in here for a long time to come or his natural life. I believe “straight” men have secret inclinations toward homosexuality just as we did when we were children wanting to experiment with something daring or forbidden. I’ve had a few “straights” that dallied around with me and wound up wanting an intimate relationship with me. Sometimes older men do seek out younger men, then again, the old convicts go after the queens quite often. My preferences lean toward someone I feel a kindred spirit with, or that’s open to trying our a tryst. I’m very cautious and selective in whom I get engaged with. As for patterns the queens draw out the sugar daddies right as they hit the yard.

I have enjoyed gay sex since I was turned on by my valet at eight years old in England. No, he did not coerce or force me it just developed from a curiosity. That is a story in itself that I will relate with fond memories. Well quite probable I will be released by next year this time. As my experience in here and the fact of what I’ve been on the telly and papers it behooves me to find and stay with a “legal” age woman or man, or both. Although my proclivities are for boys between seven to twelve, or even late teens, and in this paranoid society today my inclinations would be extremely dangerous to indulge in. As for my experiences in here helping me to be less likely to re-offend? By myself as I am right now, I know it will be daily challenge to overcome. That’s why I have reestablished my connection to my heritage and I plan on contacting CURE/SORT when I know for certain I’m on my way out, as I can have support network to rely upon when I’m sorely tempted.

No I was not identified as LGBT, although I was recognized as Queer quite often even when married to my wife. As for who the flamboyant queens and the closet guys (as I call them) some are fiercely protected and jealously guarded by his “daddy”. Then again it depends where in the state units he/she is at as to whether or not he/she is protected or victimized. Now me unfortunately I was victimized early on in my sentence because of my sex crime and my queer mannerisms that I affect sometimes.

If any of you researchers would like a more detailed history of my lifestyle and proclivities I will openly and truthfully give you all I can remember for no cost or obligation.

I hope this helps you better understand what kind of sexual activities go on in here, at least at North Carolina. I just wish I had not moved from Arizona just to reconnect with my kinsmen here in this [same illegible word as before, looks like Liate]

As for a copy of your research results, yes I will be quite interested in reading it.

TX-234 OC = 6 Race = Mixed Kinsey = 0/0

  1. Male
  2. 36 8/16/1983
  3. YES
  4. I believe those who participate in sexual activities need to show others respect as they should receive respect as human beings
  5. Maybe 5%
  6. Rare because of “safe prisons” and “PREA” here in Texas
  7. You would be considered a “snitch” for doing the right thing. I haven’t seen any disciplinary action taken.
  8. It is usually voluntary as far as I know
  9. Sneaking into each other’s cells
  10. Just to the gay inmates
  11. They are sent to “lock-up”
  12. Sexual harassment: yes
  13. It would create more problems. Too many to describe
  14. They do, I know of guys who are still married secretly participating in homosexual activities without the wives knowing. They just kind of go with whatever comes their way I’m guessing.
  15. I’m straight, it is what it is though. Free will gives me a tolerant understanding. Doesn’t change my view on this. Just give and expect mutual respect!
  16. The LGBT inmates are turning into “celebrities” down here in Texas prisons. Outside looking in objectively!

FED-13 OC = 3 Race = W Kinsey = 5/5

I appreciated very much the opportunity to participate in your research project via your questionnaire. Thank you for including me.

As something of a preface to my response, I thought I would provide some basic information about the prison in which I currently reside.

FCI Seagoville is a federal low security prison with a population with between 1500 and 1800 inmates. It is a Sex Offender Management Program facility: between 40% and 50% of the population here are sex offenders, most of whom committed child pornography related offenses.

There are six housing units. Two units are large (350+ inmates) with two-man cells with no doors. Three units are smaller (about 200 inmates each) with two-man cells that have doors (standard doors with a small, four-paned window in the top half, much like you’d see as a front door on a house). One unit has five-man cells and the remaining one has four-man cells. Neither of the last two unites have doors on the cells. This information should make my responses regarding privacy more clear.

I also think I should define some of the terms I use.

Gay men- inmates who self-identify as homosexual and are open about their sexual orientation at least among other members of the gay community. These inmates might actually be bisexual men in the free world who, because of the circumstances, are currently only sexually active with men.

Closeted men- gay or bisexual men who are not generally open about their sexual orientation with anyone, save, perhaps, very close intimates.

Straight men- Men who are not emotionally or physically attracted to other men and who do not and generally would not have sex with a man in the free world.

I hope these definitions provide useful clarity in regards to my answers. I would be happy to provide any other clarifications or any further information that your researchers might find helpful.

And yes, please send me a copy of the research project when it is complete. I am fascinated to learn what you find out.

  1. I am a gay, cisgender man.
  2. 35
  3. Yes
  4. The circumstances matter a great deal as to the answer to this question. Gay sex does not offend me – as a gay man it would be odd if it did – but I am personally made uncomfortable by men who engage in displays of affection or sexual activity where others who might not want to see can see. This isn’t because of any moral condemnation of the act but rather a concern about protecting the gay population in the prison as a whole. While, in my experience, most inmates are not inclined to be violent against the gay people around them, the occasions when there is a threat of violence (or exposure to the guards) are when straight non-participants witness gay sex displays of affection in common area.

 

As an example, my facility has a set of covered bleachers at the softball field on the Recreation Yard. At night, in the winter particularly (because it is darker), gay men will go there to have sex under the cover of darkness (mostly hand jobs). Most of the time these activities go wholly unnoticed by inmates and guards, but when they are noticed, the guards are almost always informed, which then “brings heat”, or attention, from the guards to everyone who might sit on the bleachers regardless of why they might be sitting there. One of the cardinal rules of prisons is one wants to have as little contact with the staff as at all possible, because interaction swith staff are unpredictable and can lead to all sorts of punishments or harassment. By being non-discreet, the men who get caught by other inmates and/or staff, make life harder for us all

 

So, the answer to the question is that the only time I am bothered by inmate sexual activity is when it occurs in a way that can bring unpleasant consequences on the rest of the inmates here.

  1. Establishing a percentage of inmates who sometimes engage in sexual activity is difficult. I would put my estimate at between 15% and 30%. One reason establishing an estimate is difficult is because most sexual activity among inmates is kept secret. Another reason is because there are wide racial and ethnic differences in the prevalence of sexual activity.

 

While most of the openly gay people here are white, those inmates account for only about half of the participants in prison sex. The other portion are closeted (or, in lingo, “under cover” or “on the down-low”) men, or straight men, most of whom are black or Hispanic. Approximately 20% of non-LGBTQ-identifying black men will have sex with gay inmates, and upwards of 50% of the Mexican or Central American-born Hispanics in the same category will. U.S.-born Hispanics and whites are much less likely to engage in sexual activity with gay inmates, in the 5% to 15% range.

 

Certainly the sexual activity most common is among gay men. A gay man and a closeted or straight man is the next most common. Sex between a closeted man and a straight man happens, but is rarer, and, as far as I know, sex between two straight men is nonexistent.

 

  1. I have been at this facility since 2012 and have never heard of a single rape. Attempted rape is vanishingly rare – I am aware of only two or three instances in the last seven years. Physical sexual harassment – groping and other unwanted touching – happens very frequently (multiple times a day for some people) but rarely escalates into sexual assault. Most such behavior is relatively easy to remedy by confronting the person engaged in the harassment. Sometimes this is done by the victim himself, or by his friends. The use of slurs or other efforts to demean gay people to their faces is surprisingly rare.

 

Coercive sex is interestingly difficult to quantify. There are people who only have sex for money or other favors (rarely for protection at this facility) and on occasion that sex could be considered coercive or involuntary, but is probably really more akin to standard sex work, just in exchange for stamps or honey buns instead of actual cash.

 

  1. I imagine that this answer will be non-standard. Inmates complaining about coercive relationships and/or sexual assault are treated quite well by staff here, though which guard you are dealing with matters in this regard: some of the guards are unmitigated assholes. Inmates reporting assaults are not routinely placed in protective custody and inmates are certainly not labelled as snitches for reporting it. Inmates who tell friends about assaults are greeted with compassion and support and actual encouragement to approach trusted members of the staff.
  2. Nearly all sex at this facility is voluntary and consensual.
  3. In the three housing units that have cells with doors, inmates have sex in their cells. Rooms in these units are also rented out for use by inmates from other buildings. Sex happens in the showers of all the units and in the restroom stalls in all of the buildings in which inmates live and work.

 

Most of the time, people who decide to live with a gay person (inmates are generally able to pick cellmates here) are willing to vacate the cell when their cellmates have assignations planned – or, of course, the reason they moved a gay person into their room or the reason they agreed to live with a gay person was because they wanted to have sex with them themselves. A high percentage of gay people here live with other gay people – either to facilitate sex between the two of them or because it is nice to live with someone who “understands the lifestyle,” so-to-speak.

 

Closeted or straight men who want to have sex with gay men or each other have a slightly harder time because they feel a need to be much more secretive and clandestine about it. Sex with or among men of those groups tends to happen late at night, when most people are asleep (we have a nickname for those closeted and straight guys: “after count boys,” so-called because they come looking for sex only after the midnight count has been cleared). Some not-out LGBTQ guys and straight guys refuse to go into gay guys’ cells for fear of being seen entering or exiting because of fear of what their friends might say. Those men would rather have their rendezvous in the showers or restrooms late at night – or they would rather meet in an entirely different building, like the Education Department where their comings and goings wouldn’t be so noticeable.

  1. There are grumblings about “the gays” from time-to-time, generally when someone has been caught by someone in a common area engaged in a sex act. Some groups become very upset if they discover one of their own has been having sex – that is particularly a problem among the non-SO whites and Tejano gang members. Just recently, in fact, a member of one of those gangs was beaten badly for getting caught by other inmates getting a blow job from a gay man. That is perhaps the biggest reason non-openly-gay inmates worry about being found out: fear of how their friends (and/or gang associates) will react.

 

Public displays of affection – kissing, hugging, etc. – among the gay couples also tends to elicit complaints from the larger population.

  1. It really depends on the guard. Most officers seem to make a real effort NOT to catch people doing anything wrong – either they never make rounds or, when they do, they make a great deal of noise with their keys as a warning.

 

If someone is caught, again, it depends on the guard what happens next. For instance, two days ago a guard walked in on two people having sex down the hall from my call and told them to “knock that shit off, guys” and then walked away. That, of course, is not the Bureau of Prison’s Policy, officially. Sexual contact between inmates is a 200-series discipline violation, which could result in punishments ranging from extra duty or the loss of privileges like the commissary, or up to six months of segregation and the loss of 14-27 day of good conduct credit. Thankfully, the last time I recall anyone even being cited for sex was several years ago.

 

I do not believe the way sexual contact between inmates is handled here is illustrative of the federal prison system as a whole.

 

  1. I have never heard of a guard forcibly raping an inmate in the time I have been here. There have been three instances of female officers being arrested for sexual contact with inmates – one after she reported the inmate was attempting to blackmail her after they had had an affair. Gay inmates sometimes do have sex with male staff members, although that is extremely rare.
  2. This is another difficult question.

For all intents and purposes, sex between inmates occurs here in an almost unfettered way (and, of course, did even when it was more likely to result in punishment). Sex is going to happen, if it is against the rules or not, so it makes sense to remove the restrictions on it… and to provide the inmates with condoms and, perhaps, sex education.

With that said, I do understand the BOP’s reasoning for disallowing all sex: Under the current regime, all sex is treated as non-consensual rule-breaking, so the guards don’t have to worry about issues of force or coercion (in most cases): All participants are punished, case closed. If consensual sex was allowed, and someone reported assault, the BOP would have to investigate far deeper than they do now into the actual reality of the event, which is a level of effort the guards simply would rather avoid. I didn’t say it was a good reason, just the reason that I understood it.

I am not sure inmates should be allowed to have sex wherever they want to, because I am not sure guards should have to work in an environment where they could come upon people engaged in sexual activity at any time. There would have to be real changes to the way the prison operates to protect the privacy of the inmates and the basic workplace rights of the guards.

  1. Yes, frequently.

 

Most straight men who have sex with men in prison seek no-strings-attached encounters because they are nearly always interested in nothing more than sexual release. They have no interest in having a relationship with the person providing them sexual favors, though sometimes that’s not the case and the two are or become friends. Generally, though, such a friendship would raise too many red flags with the rest of the inmates.

 

In my experience, straight men tend to prefer more effeminate men as partners, specifically they are much more likely to have sex with clean-shaven men than men who wear facial hair. It seems that body type matters less – some guys go for thinner, more athletic men, others seek out heavier, “curvier” guys.

 

There are also straight men who engage in sexual activity with transgender inmates.

 

Younger men, both cisgender and transgender, do seem to attract more attention.

 

I just referenced straight men “seeking out” partners: they frequently are the ones who make the first move, approaching gay guys privately and making propositions.

 

Sometimes gay men approach straight men that are known to be open to sex (I have discussed the secrecy involved with sex in prisons. While people are certainly very careful about who knows they are having sex, information tends to trickle out… and then, of course, there are the guys who don’t care who knows). Joking around about sex is often used as a “wink-wink, nudge-nudge” in this effort.

 

The process can take a long time, regardless of who initiates it. Most straight (and closeted men) need to be very comfortable with the guys they have sex with; that mitigates their fear of exposure. So it is a complicated dance that both parties go through. To be entirely honest, it is too much work for some of us (it requires a lot of dedication to the cause) while other guys live for “turning out” the straight guys.

 

  1. I’m more attracted to men with bad tattoos than I once was (I’m only sort of kidding).

 

Sexual activity in prison is different in many ways from sex in the real world, particularly if you have sex with straight men. In that case, it is nearly 100% non-reciprocal. Even among gay and bisexual partners, sex is often fleeting and limited (because of privacy and guard-related worries). It is also almost always done standing up: Being caught in bed is harder to explain to a guard or a caught-unawares cellmate.

 

With all of that said, when there is time and privacy, inmates seem to try to make up for the other times. Perhaps I’m naïve, but I assume threesomes are more common here than in the real world.

 

The above is meant to provide context for my answer: I do believe my sexual practices have changed and my attitudes have adjusted. I’ll be both more interested in long-term relationships (rather than one night stands) as a result of the fleeting nature of prison sex, and I will be more adventurous with my partner(s) in the future as a result of what I’ve experienced here.

 

I’m a sex offender and, yes, I believe my experiences here will make it less likely that I will re-offend. The reason is relatively simple. My offense was distribution of child pornography, which, of course, involved the viewing of child pornography for sexual gratification. After many yeasrs of reflection I believe the problem I had developed with pornography that lead to my viewing of child pornography was due to the problems I had expressing myself in a healthy sexual way in the “real world”. I was self-conscious, unsure of myself sexually, and had terrible body image issues, along with an undiagnosed anxiety disorder. Those factors combined to make it very hard form me to seek out sex partners and to then be comfortable enough with myself to engage with them deeply when I did. It was simply easier to turn to porn. Boredom with that porn and a search for something more and more extreme lead me down the rabbit hole that has deposited me here, in federal prison.

 

However unlikely it might seem, my experience with men here has given me a confidence that I never had in the real world. (The diagnosis, and subsequent treatment, of my anxiety disorder has helped as well). Being sought after as a partner, or to have advances accepted or welcomed has been a great boon to my self-esteem. There is something very self-satisfying about having a man who is certainly straight on the street proposition you, even if you don’t accept the invitation. I realize, of course, that one could look at that sort of experience as just being used sexually, but that’s not how I choose to look at it.

 

  1. Being gay in prison is strange. I anticipated inmates would be anti-gay in general but have not found that to be the case. While I’m not sure there is much anti-gay talk happening all the time, it generally isn’t directly said to gay people themselves. I have never been subject to anything other than the occasional slur or the kind of mockery gay men grow accustomed to dealing with: If you are polite and respectful most people will be in turn. That isn’t really how I expected it to be and I had worried my sexual orientation would put me in grave danger. It has not.

In fact, being gay has opened doors for me, both with inmates and the guards. Certainly being gay makes one popular with the inmates who are seeking sex, but there are men here who, just like in the real world, just like gay people and enjoy spending time with them. Also, having a gay population of more than 100 here has created a community that acts as a safety net and a de facto family for many of us. “The Family” is talked about all the time and tries to be a resource for all sorts of guidance. If I wasn’t gay I wouldn’t have that, unless, of course, I joined a gang of some kind.

As to dealing with the guards, being gay can be something of a double-edged sword. Some of the male guards are the most anti-gay people any of us have to deal with on a given day, far more so than any inmate, but some of the female guards & executive staff would rather work with gay inmates because we are less of a threat to them physically and professionally (female staff-members who work closely with particular inmates can be subject to accusations of impropriety by their co-workers; having gay inmates working for them helps them avoid that).

TX-249 OC = 4 Race = W Kinsey = 0/0

Male

47

Yes

Tolerant, but jealous I wish women were here for me to have sex. Hell, I wish pornography was allowed to masturbate to.

Less than 5%

Texas has made rape less frequent with PREA. Rape rarely happens in G.P. now

P.C. for sure. But “snitch” wouldn’t be used

Yes

Cells or shower. Barber shop was used, but they were caught. Now the barber shop is monitored.

Hell yeah!

A case would be given to both. Both would be moved

Not that I’ve seen or experienced.

Everything has ups and downs. Sex would cause all kinds of drama. But more men would come out of the closet.

Yes, no pattern found.

No, never getting out.

N/A

TX-124 OC = 6 Race = W Kinsey = 0/0

Thank you so much for the books y’all sent & the annual attention you pay to help inmates receive books!!! As to your letter inquiring about the sexual activities in Texas prisons… [ellipses in original] while this is deeply frowned upon by the admin, as you can guess – it still occurs – I’ve been incarcerated a total of over 37 years served behind bars here. No I’ve not participated & have not been abused – there are many here that have – a lot of consensual sex goes on between inmates but it’s “not allowed” [quotations in original]. Yeah right. The abuse problem is down now as to what it was, but it still goes on. I hope this helps your survey – if not – write me with specific questions & I’ll be glad to answer. Thank you again & any & all reading material is always welcomed!

Sincerely

TX-254 OC = 7 Race = W Kinsey = 0/0

Male

44

Yes, participated

Well, I participated so I’m sure it didn’t bother me

That would be a hard number to pinpoint. You do have groups of people in here that mess around openly, but you also have a lot who worry about the stigma. So when they get behind closed doors all is good. I would have to say 2%-5%

In 2019 this number would be so low you might not even be able to calculate it. A lot of people get caught in these activities and scream rape, so they won’t get into trouble.

Yes there will be positive action and the two will be separated. The victim will not go to “protective custody” unless they ask for it. This is not automatic. The problem here is some make a statement about rape just trying to go to protective custody, where this lifestyle is more open.

Yes

This is a little harder. Depends on where you work or live. I lived in the dorms and still found a way.

Yes, but some people complain about the sun coming up. If you are going to be worried about what people say, don’t live the life.

They are locked up and separated.

I have never seen it. Not to say it doesn’t happen. I feel most of the inmates who report on officers is because they didn’t get what they wanted.

I feel it would cause more problems. People don’t know how to treat relationships.

Yes, as for me it had to do with being lonely. I was 17 when I came here. I don’t understand what you mean by patterns. For me it was more of the feminine type.

It has changed because it left a bad taste in my mouth (don’t laugh!). As I stated, I was 17 when I got here, and a person does get lonely. I was down here for about 10 years before this started, and it seemed out of nowhere this queen took a liking to me. Did all kinds of things for me. It is hard to express a feeling when you think someone cares for you. Maybe I was a sucker. Nobody likes being played for a fool, whether in here or out there. I don’t see my life being different. I do have a sex offense, but I was a 17-year-old kid who was sleeping with a 14-year-old. Not only did I not know her age I also did not know it was a crime.

N/A

FED-193 OC = 2 Race = W Kinsey = 5/7

Male; pedophile with interest in boys 9 to 13.

Age 71

Yes at Mariana, FL and Seagoville, TX

I was surprised at first, but not offended.

Out of 1,700 inmates 100 have slight to mod [sic, I think he meant to abbreviate “moderate”]

Infrequent. A number of men make overt requests to the wrong man and get “an earful” [quotes in original] of hate. But it’s not sex or rape only the flirting/request.

Yes to all situations depending on the inmates and guards involved. Labeled as a “snitch” not very often. (this is low)

I believe [underlining in original] yes, most is consensual.

In my unit we leave doors and the cells, so not too difficult if it’s a “quickie.” In cell houses with no doors, it’s more difficult. Sometimes showers or toilet stall.

Yes, there is some complaining done by the non-SO, “hater” inmates. Kind of a look-down on the SO population. We’re better than they are. They’re sick.

It greatly depends on the guard involved, the degree of contact, and who makes the complaint, or the response upon feeling caught. “Oh it was his idea!” “I didn’t want to” “He forced me” (: [smile and quotes in original]

I have not witnessed, but it seems that some guards did response inappropriately to the transgender in here in a male prison. The new guidelines from Warden and above seem to have put a stop to most of it.

It might reduce some tension, but might create more. Some young pretty men would more openly be fought over.

Yes, I believe it happens to some.

No, not much change in my attitude. More aware of the extremes in sexual activities. Prison makes people look over their shoulder more often after prison, but also introduced me to so much more that is on the internet out there. Dangerous, but it certainly piqued my curiosity.

I was a pedophile since age 11. I am more aware of the hatred aimed at me. But I am more curious as to BC [sic] stuff on the internet. I am a GED tutor and get a lot of respect from students who protect me, look out for me. Hugs between inmates are more open. We do hunger for human contact. I often pat my students on the back, “good job.” Got to help quell some of that mood.

FED-268 OC = 2 Race = W Kinsey = 1/0

Hello. I would like to begin this letter by saying thank you for the books you have sent in the past. I have been putting them to good use. I would like to return the favor by helping you with your study.

I identify as male. I am 47 years old. I personally have never witnessed any sexual activity in prison. I personally would not be a participant, but I feel what others do is their business, and it does not bother me. As for percentages of sexually active inmates, to be honest I have no idea. In the three years that I have been here, I have never heard of any incident being involuntary. This place has zero tolerance for rape and makes it very easy for anyone to report it. I cannot answer the protective custody question because I don’t know, but I do not think anyone is labeled a snitch for going to the authorities. I would think that what does go on is voluntary and consensual.

Since I am not sexually active, I don’t know about privacy. Yes there are many people who complain about homosexual activity in prison, but it seems to be getting more tolerant among inmates recently.

Anyone caught having sex by the guards gets a disciplinary shot and stay a few weeks in the SHU. The guards absolutely DO NOT violate prisoners in a sexual way. I have never even heard of a rumor stating they have.

I could see how allowing sex would reduce tension but at the same time we do have a small problem with fights occurring over jealousy. I do know of many straight guys turning gay while in prison. I think very long sentences have a toll on prisoners turning gay. Most of the time they try to justify it by only going after transgenders.

As I have stated before I gave neither witnessed nor participated in any sexual activity but hearing about it daily has changed my attitude toward it to being more accepting. Yes I think that if I ever get out of prison I will view homosexuality differently. I am in prison for a sex offence, and yes, I hate prison. Everything about it. If given another chance at freedom, I know I would never reoffend. I am not nor was I LGBT so I cannot answer the last question, I hope this helps with your study, Please send me your updates list of books when you can, many thanks.

P.S. I would like to see a copy if your research results

TX-275 OC = 5 Race = AI Kinsey = 0/0

Male

58

No

Wrong

¼

Tex has safe prisons, PREA

Yes

Sometimes

Don’t do it when you can

Snitch! No See no hear no speak!

Locked up

? [just wrote a question mark]

Hell no

Yes, [underlined younger guys and more feminine types], ? [wrote another question mark], no

No

No

FED-178 OC = 3 Race = W Kinsey = 6/6

Male

57

I have witnessed sexual activity in prison.

I was a participant, but have also witnessed it from a distance between other inmates; I wasn’t offended by it… it was a consensual decision among those involved.

Out of about 750 at my facility, I know of at least 40 inmates who I’ve seen, or have told me that they have had sex… so about 5%.

I’ve never seen it, but had a single inmate friend say his cellmate attempted involuntary fondling while he slept (and awoke to it). That’s it – once in three years that I’ve been here.

Yes, the inmate mentioned in #6 above immediately told a corrections officer, and both the CO and duty lieutenant acted immediately – the attacker was placed in isolation and eventually shipped to a US BOP “medium” facility. The victim stayed here. He was not considered a “snitch” among inmates for this event – but for other tattling (like contraband, fights, etc.) he would certainly have been labeled as such.

Yes, 99+% is voluntary and consensual.

It’s tough – but at our “low” BOP facility, we’re grossly understaffed. We have one CO per two dorm units of roughly 80 inmates (it should be one per dorm), and most COs are indifferent to their job. They should do walk-throughs every 20 minutes, but that rarely happens. Thus “quickies” in the shower stalls, back-most toilet stalls, or leaning supply closet are the usual places. Some dorm units are not open format but have 2-man cells – in these latter units, sex is easy in a cell, especially after lights-out. My neighbor – a gay, 23 y/o – made loot stamps (we use Forever 1st class stamps as cash, valued at 35 cents each) a week giving BJ’s in the storage closet from 1 to 4 am each night.

Not really – it’s the worst-kept secret no one talks about.

Surprisingly, not as much as you’d think. They’ll be put into the Special Housing Unit (SHU – solitary) until an investigation is conducted, for up to 90 days. They get a hearing by the Disciplinary Hearing Officer (DHO; he visits once a month or so) – usually they walk-out back to population with an incident report added to their file and perhaps temporary restrictions to their access to phone, email, and/or commissary. Very rarely, they are transferred to another “low” BOP facility to make them someone else’s problem.

At the FSL for women that is also part of our complex, 1 guard has gone to prison for having sex with female inmates this year, and a female CO at ours was fired for inappropriate advances to a male inmate (the inmate was eventually transferred).

Interesting question – it probably would create more trouble allowed, but honestly, it’s a 50-50 call.

Oh yes! The “straight” ones take but don’t give – they’ll have anal sex with you, or accept a BJ, but won’t touch you in equal reply. An infamous line among Hispanic, ex-gang members here is “if your balls don’t touch the guys ass (when you screw him) it’s not gay.” They tend to go after younger, cute, smaller guys (and why not? That’s my preference too! Lol), not “straight, tought” thugs like themselves. They’ll definitely approach the objects of desire, not wait for it to happen.

My general attitudes haven’t changed, no. I don’t think life after prison will be different either – I’m gay and will still want consensual relationships outside of here eventually. I am a sex-offender (SO) but my offense isn’t directly related to what I’ve seen, known, and done while in prison.

There’s good tolerance for LGBT in our facility. I’ve not been harassed, and don’t think I’ve been treated differently because I’m gay (and most others know I am), but have been discriminated against because I’m an SO… we aren’t allowed to watch TV in the dorm, must sit at certain tables in the dining hall, and are usually referred to as “Cho-Moes” (child molestors) even though less than ½% of us have such a charge against us.

TX-240 OC = 5 Race = H Kinsey = 0/0

I’m a 46-year-old male from Texas. Incarcerated since 1992. Will see parole in 2023.

I have seen much in 25+ years in prison. Yes, I’ve witnessed sexual activity. In times past I’ve been participant. In prison environment as I’ve been witness to… some inmates are offended by sexual display or having some sex. Others tolerate it. I’d say 5% of prisoners in my facility may be sexually active from nearly 2500 inmates. I do point out sex, consensual or not, is frowned on and carries administrative punishment. Sex between both parties is usually voluntary and consensual. Rape cases are low. Seeking “protective custody” does label one a “prison snitch” whether [sic] from reporting an attack by a victim to authorities in a complaint. The mentality of guards toward some inmates (victim) is that they described it or asked for it! Or at times one isn’t believed. There have been cases where victims not believed and have no way out of abuse or rape – commit suicide or attempt to do so. Much of the sex goes on between cellmates. The showers are the last resort. Cameras are used in much of Texas prisons. But behind closed doors – anything goes. Relationships are normally between consensual parties. As stated earlier homosexuality is tolerated by the prison population. Straight men just stay away. I’ve read reports though magazines, newspapers, or booklets of guards violating inmates. Lots’ of cases of rape are reported. Many guards are trained to repor t inmates engaging in sexual acts with one another. A disciplinary case is written, possible solitary confinement awaiting to be punished by a court ranked official (capt.)

I believe if inmates were allowed voluntarily to engage in relationships… the tensions of everyday life behind prison walls would be low. Problems? Not so much! Here in my environment (safe-keeping)… one running above protective-custody is kept usually in the LGBT population. Straight men rarely have sex with another male. And even those who do get a BJ see themselves straight even when doing gay sexual acts. There is the possibility that straight men will cross-over in a sense, identify as bisexual or discover they are gay. Most men do go for younger men and feminine types. Young guys are attracted to older guys more often than not.

I identify as bisexual these days. In my past life I was a healthy young straight guy. After 3 years of incarceration I was approached by feminine guys seeking sexual relationships. After incarceration I see myself in a relationship with both sexes (male-female).

Those who were pre-incarceration of the LGBT-community do find it harder to be accepted by general population. There is a stigma and ignorance from the G.P. inmates of the LGBT-community. At times straight guys get curious and ask questions. The viewpoints and opinions change to positive ones after learning truths.

This is some info. I hope will help in the research project. I would be delighted to see a copy of the research results. Thanks! Feel free to send more surveys. I wish to help in any way for the betterment of my fellow men.

P.S. I give you full consent to use this info as the project sees fit.

ID-11 OC = 1 Race = W Kinsey = 0/0

I strongly identify as male

I am 38 years old as of May 5th, 2019 (D.O.B. 5/05/1981)

I have personally witnessed sexual activity (Idaho’s ICI-O Orofino, ISCI: Boise, and ISCC: Boise)

When I’m not a participant, it offends me because homosexuality is not natural.

Based on my experience and observations, I’d say that about 90% of prisoners in the current facility I’m housed are sexually active with other inmates.

The frequency of involuntary, coercive sex and rape here at ISCC is four times a week by fellow inmates.

Complaining to the authorities about a coercive relationship or attack (PREA) results in putting the victim “protective custody” if enough evidence is found out if the victim requests “protective custody.” In the state of Idaho, complaining does get one labeled as a “snitch’ by other inmates.

Yes, most of the sex that occurs in ISCC voluntary and consensual between both parties.

Inmates go about finding privacy by going to the showers or if the unit has 2 man cells they go behind closed doors and if they are fortunate they would already be celled with each other so they can do it anytime since they are bunked together.

Of course there are other inmates who complain about those who engage in homosexual sex inside the prions, they’re usually “snitches” or those trying to turn their lives around from past homosexual activities themselves.

Inmates who are caught in sexual situations by guards are sent to the “hole” (segregation), get a D.O.R. for the situation and wait to go to see DHO to plead their case.

The only guards who have ever violated prisoners in as sexual way have been female staff, from CO to captain, every single female officer at all ranks has had dealings (inappropriate) with inmates and a whole lot of them have yet to be caught and reprimanded. It is only if the female staff initiates first, that is when it is “inappropriate” in the female’s mind, any other time it results in a Sexual Harassment D.O.R. for the inmate. (In my case I got the D.O.R.’s and was kicked out of ISCI to be housed at ISCC because I initiated the blow job suggestion when I should have gotten the BJ from her at the time when she offered. But because she was not “in the mood” or it wasn’t on her time, I got in trouble while she is still working at ISCI unit 16 BHU where I was, if you need the name CO Jessica Paine.)

I believe that allowing voluntary sex between male and female inmates/prison staff would reduce tensions greatly but sex between same-sex would create more problems.

Yes, completely straight men engage in sex with other men and go after whoever wants to be giving them the BJ and receiving anal.

It was my experience as a “participant” that has greatly influenced my own attitude towards homosexuality. I think my life after getting out of prison will be different as a result, for sure. As a sex offender, I know that it has given me a personal aspect of how my victim (who also wasn’t voluntarily involved) might have felt physically, spiritually, emotionally, and possibly mentally during the experience and the experience definitely would make me less likely to reoffend.

[question 16 was not answered]

If any adult females want to know more about me I encourage you to write me. I only get 1 indigent envelope/week to write. I write back better with a Q/A format.

Yes, I would love to see a copy of your research results.

 

TX-183 OC = 5 Race = W Kinsey = 0/0

Male

46

No

N/a

30-40%

25%

Both, labeled as snitch

Yes

In cells or shower area

Yes

Locked up

Yes, play gay games/talk

No

Yes, any will satisfy them, they have no morals

N/A

N/A, I do not approve of their lifestyle

 

Scott

I am a male and currently 41 years old. I have in the past (but not recently) witnessed sexual activity in the prisons. Both voluntary and involuntary. And it really does not bother me too much but after a while you do get tired of seeing it all of the time. Of course, the percentage of inmates sexually active fluctuates to an extent. But I would have to say at least half of the unit is sexually active and as far as I know it is voluntary. Of course, if the incident is reported they (the guards) usually move the inmates around. And on some occasions the guards had put an inmate into protective custody, especially if the victim announces he was forcefully attacked. And other times when one was going home (parole) and was caught would announce it was rape and the state would press charges against his partner (even though it was voluntary). No one really calls anyone a snitch for reporting it to the guards, of course they’ll talk about it for a long time and make stories up about it as well. Now finding privacy is another matter, inmates have just screwed around on the rec yard in the showers, and othe times they have tried to find privacy by falling out of place to got o another cell of cubicle. And depending on the officer who finds the inmates in the act will either tell the inmates to stop and that will be the end of it or will initiate an ICS and report the inmates to higher rank and lock both inmates up. We have had female officers have sexual relations with us inmates and she usually gets caught because another inmate wants to “hook up” with her and she doesn’t want to so the inmate tells. As for allowing voluntary sex in prisons I feel at first it would release sexual tension, but it would also create more problems (this is why TDC stopped the sex). People were getting raped daily and not to mention the diseases within these walls. So in my opinion it is wise to not to have voluntary sex in prisons due to people getting extorted and raped on regular bases. I’ve seen straight men with beautiful wives and children having sex with other men while locked up and they’ll justify it by saying they aren’t gay just releasing sexual tension. These men look toward mostly feminine looking males. While others seem to look for the other straight looking guy and have a “closet romance.” Then those are the ones who won’t come out but will ultimately leave hinds and juke and play around with another individual hoping the other will make a move. I feel if two or more men want to have consensual sex so be it just don’t approach me about it. As for the sex-offenses I will have to say no I would not like ever to return to prison I would do whatever the law instructed to remain free and to get on with my life. The only time I would come back would be in civilian clothes and as a visitor informing the prisoners there is hope and programs designed to help, there are support groups out there helping people of all different charges. And as the LGBT I cannot comment on that at this time. Please do not use my name for anything toward this questionnaire. Thank you.

TX-48 OC = 1 Race = AI Kinsey = 0/0

This is in response to your study that I received with my books just a few days ago.

You got this study to pone of the right inmates; I say that because I have been placed with safe keeping status inmates. These are inmates who are to be kept away from the general population for various reasons, such as having an enemy, being related to someone in law enforcement, someone who cannot defend themselves, being raped, someone who creates sexual situations (these are commonly known as punks in prison), homosexuals, and even transsexuals.

I do not identify as anything. I was born a male; all these other labels were created to justify someone’s sexual activity.

Most of the inmates I am on the cell block with are 50 to 75, I am 61, but we do have some youngsters here with us, they age from 21 to 30.

Yes, I have witnessed sexual activity. I’ve been locked up almost 50 years. That long and you are bound to see a lot. And what I have seen does offend me. I do not appreciate seeing people perform sex acts.

In my facility, there are several buildings, so I can only relate as to the building that I live in. But the percentage of sexual activity would be around 50%. This percentage includes all activities from anal sex to touching.

My total time in prison I have only heard of rape maybe six times, coercive sex maybe 2 times.

Nowadays with Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA), the staff now takes immediate action to investigate it. The person who makes the complaint is placed in protective custody, but only during the investigation. If the complaint is verified then that person will be transferred to another unit and the aggressor will be disciplined but only by a disciplinary hearing in the system, no free world charges.

That person who complains will only be labeled a “snitch” only if he is making false complaints to receive special treatment.

Again, I can only speak as to the building I am housed in. Yes, most sex is voluntary between both parties.

One of the buildings where they put two inmates in a call, its easy for two to get into a cell together. They just ask the cellie if they can have the house and he will come out to the dayroom. Or, both will go to the shower together. These newer prisons all showers on the building are single showers, not community showers.

Some may complain, but if this is found out that person will be labeled a snitch!

Persons caught by staff in sexual situations get a disciplinary case (called a Code 20)..

I have only known one situation where a building Sergeant was having inmates to give him oral sex. This was the safe keeping building.

Allowing sex would only create more problems. You have to understand that in safe keeping a lot of inmates consider themselves husbands and wives. By allowing sex you would see situations between these inmates as you would see in the free world between couples fighting for divorce. It would create a lot of physical fighting between the husbands with other men looking for a punk, and the punks fighting each other because a punk had sex with other punks’ husband.

You would not believe the number of so-called straight men (and that are married to real women in the free world), who go after these punks (men playing women). I have witnessed a married man fight another man over a punk in here. Happens all the time.

Yes, they act all macho, then when a punk arrives they like, their actions, talk, everything, changes to try and impress the punk.

I find that most of the older usually shoot for the younger ones. I guess it may be the same as the older men always looking at the younger women, A lot of them like the feminine type or those that act like a woman or put on make-up and the transgender, because they have what they call breast and have been issued a bra by the prison system. So every punk now claims to be transgender, but won’t have no change done because almost all want to go back to being a man when released.

Most go out and try to hook up with someone, some of the younger ones that have not been in prison long, wait and see everyone who does it.

My experiences here have changed my attitude about homosexuality. Now I do not want to even hear about it when I am out. Go back to the closet is how I feel about it now. But this is prison, hopefully in the free world it won’t be crammed down one’s throat that I have to accept it.

I am old school and you know the old saying, “you can’t teach old dogs new tricks.” That’s me. I have had to live with people who only think it is all about them and screw everyone else. This attitude really rubs me the wrong way. I do hope it is not like that in the free world.

I do hope my information here helps you folks some way.

I would like to say, I don’t hate these people, I just don’t like the ways they carry themselves and push it in your face.

As far as safe keeping in this prison system, most are agreeable to having sex, it’s all they have right now.

Yes, I would like to have a copy of your research results.

Thanks for all you folks are doing to make prisons safer.

Warmest regards

Matthew Race = H Kinsey = 6/6

Male, gender fluid

44

Yes

I’ve been a participant and I’ve observed sexual activity in prison well. I’ve not been offended by it though it’s considered polite to participate out of sight of everyone else. Just because I am gay doesn’t mean everyone else would want to see me of I’d want to see them.

Approximately 20% but varies significantly depending on the unit/facility

Less than 5%

Complaint to the authorities results in the complainer being locked up. The complainer is ridiculed by inmates and guards and labeled a snitch. The authorities rarely, if ever, do anything about the situation. If the authorities do anything at all, the complainer is placed on safekeeping or protective custody and generally transferred to another unit. This causes the complainer to lose out on classes or education he is participating in.

Yes

Often inmaets will go out of place into one or the other’s cells for sex, or a shower, closet, or other unobtrusive corner that’s private. Rarely is anything right out in the open. There are penalties to getting caught including disciplinary, lock up, or loss in custody status.

Sometimes they do but rarely to the authorities. Usually only amongst themselves.

Inmates caught in a sexual situation by guards are ridiculed and more or less paraded in front of everybody, so all know. Then a disciplinary case is written, both are sent to pre-hearing detention, and often those having sex lose good time and get dropped to a lower custody level. They also receive disciplinary restrictions on rec, phone, commissary and other things. If you have any sort of a sex crime it will almost certainly cause you denial of parole though in Texas the parole board isn’t supposed to look at cases older than a year.

I personally do not know of any guards violating prisoners. There are, however, lots of rude comments and slurs directed towards LGBT prisoners by guards, often with harsher punishments toward those known to be LGBT. There’s a lot of discrimination.

Reduce tension and be one less thing for the guards to harass us with. We’re often punished indirectly if we even have a relationship though there’s no official disciplinary sanctions against it.

Yes, men who are completely straight do engage in sex in prison – about maybe 30%? Not all do and most sort of look down on it. However, the younger generation coming to prison seems to be higher propensity, possibly as high as 40-45%. I see them go mostly after the younger, most feminine prisoners, usually those looking the most as female or “black punks” who tend to not necessarily be the most feminine but act the part more like a drag queen. Usually the queens approach the guys and strike up some sort of a “friendship” and go from there, almost a child molester “grooms” their victim. Eventually the straight guy ends up doing oral sex or allows anal sex for the lover.

My sexual practices are almost non-existent in the penitentiary whereas I was pretty promiscuous before. I’m terrified of catching diseases and am very careful that the person I have sex with is neither promiscuous nor has diseases. I get tested every 6 months for HIV and yearly for Hep-C and syphilis. I prefer to have sex only with other truly gay guys and tend to have to be in a relationship first with that person. Other than my prison experience being miserable, there is nothing that would cause me, one way or another, attributable to TDCJ, to reoffend or stay out.

Being gay has not caused me a lot of problems in prison. I’m well-liked, honest and open when questioned about my sexuality. It’s those who hide and lie, then get caught or are disrespectful towards others who have the most problems. I’ve had a lot of non-LGBT prisoners who are good with me stand up for me if necessary.

OK-2 OC = 4,6 Race = W Kinsey = 0/0

[1-2] I am a 74 year old male

[3-4] I have personally witnessed sexual activity in prison. The circumstances dictate my attitude. While basically tolerant of two consenting adults, I have little tolerance for abuse and threats by one or more parties.

An example: We had a young man who experienced a severe stroke after his sentencing. The stroke left him basically unable to care for himself. He was assigned a person to assist him in daily living. This person – and his friends – sexually abused him on a daily basis.

No one doing anything about it even thought it was widely known by staff and inmates. I did not want to become involved. I wrote the judge who sent the man to prison an anonymous letter explaining the situation asking the judge to exercise some compassion.

The judge acted. The inmate was moved for six months. He was returned and the abuse continued. I gave up.

Based upon my observations I would estimate the percentage of inmates involved in sexual activities to be 5% plus or minus.

Involuntary sexual activity, including rape, is, in my opinion, quite minimal at this institution. I believe PREA has been instrumental in the reduction of these instances.

Complaining results in punitive action and punishment as all parties are segregated in the same SHU. The stigma of being abused will never be erased. And, of course, the guilty parties call “snitch,” especially if they belong to a gang they might take action once the abused party is released back into the general population.

I believe most sexual encounters of this facility to be consensual.

With PREA and installation of numerous cameras finding privacy is difficult. However, the shower has no cameras and has become the locale for sexual encounters.

Complaints take place when workers come in and want to shower but cannot do so because of the sexual activity taking place – but this is not done on a regular basis.

What happens to inmates caught in these situations depends largely upon the guard. He may be at the end of a shift and not want to be bothered with a write up and shakedown. I once heard a guard tell inmates at count time – “you all are going to have to get in separate beds at least long enough for me to count you.”

I believe allowing homosexual activity would create more problems, seeming to give sexual predators a green light to pursue their activities.

Guards have from time to time been found guilty of engaging in sexual activity with inmates. I only know of female guards and staff involved.

I believe some otherwise straight men may become engaged in sexual activity while in prison. One reason is a man doing multiple life sentences resigns himself to being here for the rest of his life and never again having a heterosexual relationship. He adapts both physically and mentally to the situation. Second are others who have the attitude of “you’re not gay if your role is that of the man.” Or “you’re not gay if you ‘pull up’ within three days of getting out!”

I don’t believe what I have seen has changed me in any significant way.

I do not identify with the LGBT community and generally have a high degree of tolerance. They are not usually my “set” of friends.

TX-258 OC = 1 Race = W Kinsey = 0/0

I identify as male

I am 65 years old

I have not personally witnessed sexual activity in prison. Of course I don’t want to witness it.

I have not participated and yes it would offend me.

I would guesstimate at this particular unit, a very low percentage 5-8%

I don’t know for sure, but at this unit which is dubbed safe prison, it’s almost nonexistent, as any one caught or told on will be shipped to another unit.

This is a #1 snitch unit. The positive action against involuntary or consensual sex is taken seriously.

It most assuredly is. Man will always act as he is educated. Some of these men are very near barbarism and are comfortable with that status.

Man is a very imaginative creature. Mostly they use the system against itself and go out of place and switch places with the punks cellie to do their deed. They do get bold and try it at work. Some do get caught and act as if they are gangster.

This unit is different than other units I have been on. In Iowa and Ohio the gays were mostly segregated. They do segregate most here, but a few go into general population. I personally let everyone know I am not gay from the minute I walk into a pod. I am civil to every human being as there is no compromise to my position. I am friendly but don’t push it.

They get locked up immediately. They could go to the gay segregation block or get shipped. A rapist will be tried, and more time added to his sentence. There is 0 [zero] tolerance for their sexual activity here.

I have heard of it in times past, but the only activity I don’t like is a gay officer doing a strip search. I don’t go to the rec because of that.

Any kind of same sex relationships will always cause psychological confusion and positive sexual awareness is lost in the person psyche. Not only that but it’s a bacteria form of infestation and no reproductive progress for man’s future.

I know for a fact any inhumane learned activity is possible in prison. Prisons are not the answer to justifiable punishment. Prisons are a breeding ground for hate and bitterness. Any overt act against society is obtained here. It’s just an out of sight out of mind relief to the people in the world. A perfectly honest and innocent man can become a predator. This is not voluntary rehabilitation. Now that our legal system is playing God, a lot of men in prison are really innocent. I am here on an assumed allegation. On my court transcript it says, “no evidence.”

No my sexual practices of heterosexual relationship has not changed. I am hoping to subdue my addiction tendencies. Time will tell. I am readjusting my thinking and core values to prioritize moral/ethical conduct. The brain is an organ of intricate learning. Proper exercise of positive influence will result in positive productive action. We must always realize how weak we are to our carnal mind and body temptations. Always be positive doing positive things. Our actions are the result of our thinking process. It is still a work in progress with me.

I was never LGBT and never will,. I don’t allow compromise to my integrity as a human and a man. I believe we should accept who we are and rise to the challenge to perform at our very best potential. I have overcome setbacks to my character. What I can’t redo I don’t worry about. I don’t worry about the future. If I have to do this time I will simply do it. Not all things are my fault, some things are life’s hiccups. I do what needs to be done now to be morally right and do the next right thing. We all know right from wrong and no one is perfectly right but our creator and his sons.

 

TX-261 OC = 1 Race = W Kinsey = 0/0

[Underlined “some degree transgender”]

59

Yes

See letter

See letter

Not rampant but is common

See letter

Yes

Must be in same cell

They’re usually unaware

See letter

Rare, but does happen

Would reduce tensions

See letter

See letter

See letter

“Male-feasance”

Prison walls in Texas hide a culture of sex that is a good example of what’s bad in the male persona. The seclusion of prison life, and most notably, the lack of female companionship leads some heterosexual men to engage in what the religious refer to as abominable sex acts. To the homosexual a smorgasbord of males to choose from. Texas prison policy of “zero tolerance” where even consensual sex is unlawful actually does little to stop what goes on behind cell doors. This policy and its refusal to distribute condoms is directly responsible for the spread of numerous STD’s including HIV. This in turn leads to ever increasing numbers of prisoners with HIV needing treatment. The cost to taxpayers is enormous and the public in general are unaware of how the destructive, domino effect of its zero-tolerance policy on sex in prison is affecting their lives in the term of higher taxes. Nor do they realize the swarm of inmates infected with HIV, syphilis, and gonorrhea are being released like a deadly cloud of mosquitos. They will soon be living in your neighborhood infecting your friends, neighbors, and maybe even YOU! This nightmare alone should be enough a wake-up call for the public to demand prison reform – NOW!

When I arrived in prison in 1997, I hid my bisexual past. I’d always preferred the heterosexual lifestyle but had had affairs with the same sex since age 13. I’d heard enough horror stories about prison rape, and I didn’t want to give anybody any ideas. My first four years I passed as a model prisoner. I attended chapel services, applied my self to numerous Bible Studies through the mail. I was what’s called a “solo wood.” I declined invitations to join “white” gang. I also refused to pay “protective” or extortive payments. If you made store, and were not affiliated with a gang, you were open to attack. I was befriended by some Mexicans who I later learned were Mexican Mafia. They made me feel right at home, sharing a cup of hot coffee or a soup here and there. Then one day they gave me a list of items they wanted me to buy for them at the store. “Get this for us,” the leader said, “and you can keep the rest.” I laughed in his face. He told me to think about it and he would come back next week. He arrived a week later with one of his buddies. It was wide open back then on the newer units, before all the murders closed it down. My cell door was open and they stepped inside. He said, “well what did you decide?” I said, “I’ll spend my money how I like.” Two of my friends in a cell upstairs said they heard a “rumble” and they came rushing down to see if it was me and the mafia gang. It was. They beat me senseless, broke my back, but I stood my ground, fought back as hard as I could but was overwhelmed by the size of the two brutes. Security guards wanted to know who it was but I refused to snitch. This was my initiation into the violent world of Texas prison.

I was a regular at the rec. yard, lifting weights, doing the “man” thing in prison. My first four years I saw little in the way of sex. Occasionally you would notice two guys low in a cubicle where I was housed in a open dorm. A head bobbing up every know and then to look for guards. There were gay men who portrayed themselves as female and took on female names, some wearing makeup. Some guys would want these “girls” or “punks” all to themselves and so would be their husband and they his wife. Some “girls” would refuse to marry unless the guy had big money, preferring rather to sell their services to various individuals. Most of these girls I learned carried the HIV virus as well as other diseases. This didn’t seem to cause much of a problem as long as the girl was the receiver. But some men, perhaps out of curiosity, would choose to reverse the roles That’s when the spread of diseases became a monster. The girl, a carrier of all sorts of venereal diseases, became like a giant mosquito when her role was reversed when she became the one to penetrate and inject the others. The unsuspecting “men” would get a full load of toxic, deadly microbes and viruses. If infected with the HIV virus, the men would become deathly ill about 2 weeks later and then seem to recover. Then the white fur would grow on their tongue and resist all efforts to brush it off. And the night sweats, the explosive diarrhea, vomiting, weight loss, and after they were so sick they couldn’t put it off any longer they would request a medical appointment. By then the virus would have a stranglehold on the man’s immune system. The lucky ones would recover but by then it would be too late. I was a nurse in the world and from my first hand perspective the effect of Texas’ zero tolerance policy is like washing your hands and then drying them in the dirt. I had a fused broken back when I got to prison, and a freshly broken back shortly after arriving. After nearly five years of fighting off the gangs of various names and color my mother had seen enough of my broken bones so she arranged for me to be placed in a new segregated area called “safe-keeping.” Ex-gang members, ex-prison guards and other high risk for assault or murder were placed in these areas for their “safety.” It is a step down from total seclusion in a ad-seg [sic] cell of protective custody. I remember setting my property heap down in the dayroom when I first arrived to the S.L. pod, looking around I said to myself, “so this is where all the white people are!” I would come to find out the majority were also homosexuals.

I kept my distance from these activities for a year, keeping up my attendance at the chapel, etc. But after my mother died in 2001, I was left without my only friend and loved one to correspond with in the world. As far as the world was concerned I had disappeared completely off the map. I no longer existed. I couldn’t be any less a nobody if I’d been lying in my grave at the cemetery. There was trouble with hypocrisy in the church, mom was gone, depression set in. Then one day I was in the dayroom feeling gloomy when I had sort of a delayed epiphany. I looked around and it dawned on me like a new awakening, “hey, I’m surrounded by gay people. I used to do this every now and then in the world. Mom’s gone, nobody can see what’s going on here in prison and nobody gives a crap anyway, so why not join in?” And I did. Five years of living with men 24/7, their over exaggerated macho, tough guy way, and my own reclusion and shame I carried because of the nature of my crime I’d already began to rebel against my own manhood before the day in 2001 when I took on the female name of “Kari.”

Safe keeping’s concentration of the prison system’s gay population is a wild and crazy world of the freaky. A “gay menagerie.” Middle-age men who look like a white pot-bellied Uncle Joe might in face be named “Sugie” and have a black husband. The two foot long flexible club as thick as a man’s arm you just saw a guard toss out of a cell he was searching was indeed no club at all but belonged to “Grammy,” an old, toothless, “shit queen” who gets her thrill by covering herself with feces and working herself over good with her giant, homemade “dildo.” We all laughed when the new guard, fresh out of training, came out of Grammy’s cell and flung the massive dildo over the 2nd tier rail like a twirling baseball bat. Having forgot to don a pair of protective gloves he was rubbing his hands on his pants, not quite understanding why the club he just flung over the rail was so damn greasy. This is a true story. I being the eyewitness. I know of some who would have sex then head to the chapel to direct choir practice. Know of one “queen” from safe keeping go to chapel Bible study to meet her lover from gen. pop. And get caught by the chaplain having sex in the restroom. Shortly after that incident the warden had maintenance saw the restroom door in half to ensure this never happened again. Chapel services is a favorite rendezvous point for gay lovers to meet and engage in whatever level of sex they found they could get away with. Some so bold would have full blown intercourse while standing in line for show. Despite this freaky, gay utopia I found life here much less violent as in gen. pop. We lived in a laid-back atmosphere of make love not war, whereas life in gen. pop. was a violent struggle and clash of male super egos, all at war with each other. To be free of this war-like atmosphere was a relief to me. Though to be housed in S.K, was made a shameful reproach by men in gen. pop. as well as by prison guards. We were reviled and ridiculed by the tough group, the macho men. We were the “fags,” the “punks,” the “hoes,” etc., not deserving of any respect. We were, in effect, in the same category many of these men placed women in general, including their free-world wives. They view women as sex-objects, someone to be used, not respected. They are men. King of the house. The caveman with a club dragging his bitch by the hair. The more I saw of the dark, violent, selfish side of men the more I grew to despise their nature, and rebel against my own male persona. I wanted to be nothing like them. Despite the above I received, I found living as female preferable to living the loathsome, despicable way these men so called “straight men” were living.

Problem is a sexual partner in a male prison means a man, and while this may provide an outlet for sexual desires, it created some serious problems for me. I was not a “submissive” queen. Men the world over look for this in a female companion. I didn’t quite fit the mold. I didn’t tolerate disrespect by anyone – especially a man! All of my sexual encounters with men in the world were never because I found anything attractive in a man. Quite the opposite. If I saw two men kiss my nose would wrinkle in disgust. My male liaisons were because there were no females to be had at the moment and it was a step up from being alone and having sex with yourself. I’d never been in love with a man. In fact, I practically worshipped the beautify of our female species. Taking the explanation, a step further I rather hated Jerry G. Me. I hated him with such fury that I’d wanted to kill him even before my arrest. But life to me was precious and it may be all we have. My idea was to kill this piece-of-shit and somehow survive. Not entirely impossible.

I began to notice how much happier I was as “Kari.” Psychologically speaking, I developed a dual personality. When Kari came out of the closet like a flower in bloom she appalled the asshole who had kept her there all these years and threw him inside the dark closet and locked the door. Kari was happier because she had no sordid, shameful past. Her record was clean. No bad memories to depress her. Those all belonged to Jerry. Kari was beginning her life anew. But she soon found her rosy life came with a lot of sharp thorns.

Shortly after Kari began her new life on a prison pod a very big black man took a great interest in her. But she was not interested. She spurred his advances. He was a “blood” gang member and his buddies or “homies” were ridiculing him because of his failed efforts. He felt like a fool and had to save face. One day I was sitting quietly in my cell when the door clicked open and before I could even stand up this black man stepped inside and shut the door. It locked automatically. He pinned me against the wall and gave me an alternative. Get your ass kicked then screwed or just get screwed. Getting my ass kicked was not a pleasant at the time especially considering the size of this guy. Not a violent rape, but rape by intimidation. It also meant that he was claiming me as his wife. It’s sort of like being kidnapped. There’s really nowhere to go for help and you can’t just pack your bag and move to another pod. I was stuck, trapped. But after a couple months I couldn’t take anymore of this guy. He had rotten teeth and wouldn’t go to the dentist. His breath stank so bad I would gag when he got close to me with his face. This led to an argument, a fight, and I was locked up. I reported the whole affair. In prison when you report ad rape you are the one that gets locked up. The perpetrator goes free. If there’s no DNA evidence of rape, and if the investigation finds that you were the guys wife, they write it off as a lover’s quarrel. They were going to move me back where I was, but I refused. Going back to the laws regardless of the rape or any other circumstances you ware considered a “snitch.” Snitches will get the hell beat out of them, stabbed or murdered in a variety of violent ways. Once while out exercising on the rec. yard I walked by the weight machine and noticed a guy laying on his back at the bench press but he had no head. I looked over to another bench and there it was. A guys severed head just sitting there all by itself, eyes closed as if he was sleeping.

I was eventually shipped to another unit where a similar incident occurred. I found living as female was great fun. My plans to destroy Jerry were a great success. But I also found men were not my ideal sexual partners or friends. I lived as a straight female. I did not “flip-flop” so they say. I was a bottom only. They showed me all that they were, and I came to understand why women are averse to most men. They are domineering control freaks, “caveman” mentality. Liars, cheats, unfaithful, violent, selfish, sex-crazed fiends. All they thought about or talked about was sex, sex, sex. As a former male I understood what I was seeing. All the more reason to destroy Jerry. I thought I had a overactive sex drive. Some of these guys would masturbate 8-10 times a day every day. A female officer came by no matter whether she was pretty or the ugliest old snaggle-tooth hag you ever seen these guys would butt be butt naked when she walked by then masturbate furiously right in her face. A perfect example is during the movie Silence of the Lambs when a rotten tooth, filthy looking prisoners squirts his seed into his hand and flings it across the face of Jodie Foster. This and other revolting behaviors made me ashamed to be what they were – a man. I rebelled more and more to what men where made of. Society can’t seem to figure out how to stop the mass shootings. Gun control will not work. Take every last gun out of America and these mad men will simply find a knife or machete and hack people to death. They vow to spend more money on mental health. Stop selling violent video games. They’re missing the point. Guns and violent video games are available to women, but they’re not committing these mass murders. They’re ALL men! I can show you how to solve high crime rates, eliminate mass shootings, saving thousand of lives without any change in your laws or increase spending for mental health and no ban on violent video games. Simply remove ALL men from America. No need for prison reform. No need for most prisons. They majority will be closed out of his business. This solution is impractical of course but the scenario should be enough for people to see and understand what the root problem of all this violence stems from – the mind of the “male persona.”

Jerry has no problem with violence. He had been married twice and never once so much as slapped either wife. He can remember a couple times when he and his wife tried to pull each other’s hair out. Jerry had a powerful or overpowering “sex-drive.” A certain image or scent could trigger it and once the switch was flipped “on” there was not stopping it.

I remember working my way through nursing college in the graveyard shift of a nursing home. I hired a “nanny” to watch over my son and daughter as I was a single parent. The nanny was 16. A year older than my 2nd wife when we married. We began a consensual relationship that would last a year. I can’t remember how my daughter became involved but afterwards I was severely tormented by what I’d done. I found that once that line is crossed it’s almost impossible to stop. During the day I was the perfect father. I was a totally different person. This was my Dr. Jekyll. I feared the night as I knew once something triggered that switch, I would be powerless to stop it. I became another person. A Mr. Hyde. I wanted help – desperately wanted help. But where can a father go and say, “I’m abusing my daughter and I want it to stop. I need help.” Sure! Stay right there! Don’t move! We’ll get you some help. Yeah right – a prison cell.

That overpowering libido controlled most of my life in prison too. It was a slave-master and I was its slave. I wanted to be free of this fiendish creature. The one that drove me to abuse my precious whom I loved as much or more than any father could. Our society has created a type of witch-craze out of sex-offenders (S.O.’s). They’re all monsters lurking in the dark or on park benches, butt-naked except for a trench coat, a pocketful of lollipops. You can be a Satanic witch, offer sacrifices of children on an alter followed by wild orgies and still be allowed to have your lights on at Halloween, handing out treats to the youngsters. But if you had consensual sex with a teenager, you’re caught, your life is over. The age of consent in Great Britain in 1875 was 12 for a female. Back then, so long as it was consensual the matter was ignored. It’s not that society in Great Britain condemned this behavior. It was simply a common reality that making it a criminal act would not solve the problem – just make it worse. But let a man try that today even with a 16 or 17 year old female. I’m surprised they don’t burn us like witches. Here again society is missing the point. A overpowering or abnormally strong sex drive is a biological problem that can be treated. I remember when my days as a slave to my libido came to a screeching halt.

I was diagnosed with cancer (prostate) in 2015. Doctor gave me a choice of 2 out of 3 treatments: surgery, radiation, and hormone therapy. I chose radiation and hormone therapy. A cancer thrives on testosterone, the male hormone produced in the testicles. Eliminating the hormone helps to prevent it’s return. Castration is one option. Ingestible drugs like [illegible] are another. I requested the anti-testosterone hormone treatment given to treat gender dysphoria. This was before Texas prisons began providing hormone treatment to transgender offenders. He said he wouldn’t feel comfortable with that. Oddly enough, the first time I was given hormones was in 1973. I was 13 and with my own hormones raging out of control my dermatologist had run out of options to stem the terrible boils that were wreaking havoc on my face, chest, and back. I was given “Premarin,” an experimental treatment in 1973 to counteract high testosterone level (dermatological). This was possibly a sign that not only was I having abnormally high hormone levels but was also having abnormally high sex drives and a warning sing that I would have similar problems in adulthood. If this theory of mine is true then it shows that the libido that I could not control, that led to the annihilation could have been prevented with medical treatment. In fact, the treatment I sought or desired and inwardly was screaming for was actually known and available at the time I needed it most. But society, like the Texas prison systems refusal to provide condoms to keep in check the spread of diseases, was believed inappropriate. A person coming forward, such as a father, would have to be given freedom from prosecution if he were to report he had abused a family member. This was unthinkable to society. He was to be punished! You can’t just let him get away with it!!! Without such a guarantee in place, none would ever come forward for help. And if the abuse would continue!!! For god’s sake is it not worth the trade-off!?! So, a tortured in mind father gets no punishment. For the daughter the abuse would end, possibly a single initial incident. This versus the option of possibly years of continued abuse if the father too afraid to come forward for help? At the station after my arrest I was in tears. The D.A. and detective had offered me a deal of probation in return for cooperation. Me and my entire family were to get counselling, we were not going to be separated, there was even the possibility I would not lose my nursing license. I was not in tears of grief for being arrested, but for the joy that it was finally over! And moreover, it was not going to be the disastrous nightmare I expected. They were actually going to help us! Our family would be saved after all! It was unbelievable! I was awash in gratitude and tears. I gave a full confession and then some. I would have plead guilty to whatever they asked as long as my family would survive. What a damn fool I was! I didn’t get help to control my libido until I’d spent 20 years in prison and then it came from cancer treatment. That just injecting with the anti-testosterone drug Lupron put an instant end to my sex drive. After all the years I finally felt the chains of slavery had been removed. I was free, no longer a slave to that insidious, overpowering libido. But 20 years too late to save our family.

Men need treatment for overactive sex-drives, sexual disorders, etc., all men, not just posh clinics that only the rich can afford. What would the celebrities like Bill Cosby, Matt Lauer, and others say? Would they have sought treatment early on if there had been incentives in place? Will further refusals to provide these incentives guarantee the continuous sexual abuse of our children? Men have more than just a sexual problem that society has to deal with. President Trump says mass shootings are a mental health problem. Women have mental health problems but they’re not the ones responsible for mass shootings. Women can be found to be racist, too but they’re not buying the weapons to kill in mass Mexicans, blacks, whites. They play violent video games also. It’s not guns, it’s not racism, it’s not video games. It’s an age-old part inside the male persona that is indeed a mental problem. A mental problem of innate violence that will be as hard to treat as an inseparable tumor. It will take a massive, comprehensive, world-wide effort that will cost billions. This is the solution but just the world has to deal with what is a like problem to Texas prisons no condom policy albeit on a much larger scale. Mass shootings are a “MAN” problem. The focus needs to be on the men, the mind of men, and what can be done to alter the way men “think,” and behave. Men are responsible for 99% of all wars, murders, rapes, terrorism from the beginning of time. All this violence, killing, and raping is it no wonder I no longer want to be a man? Why is it I am shamed (by mostly men) and ridiculed, reviled for my choice to live as a female? It seems to me that it should be the other way around. And it is! How many women do you find wanting to live as male?

My theory is there are better methods to solving crime in America and the world over. They are medical, psychological, but highly unorthodox. These unorthodox methods have long been kept on the shelf. To take one point in particular, if the people of our own nation truly want to see these mass shootings come to an end they’re going to have to try something different, something unorthodox.

CA-39 OC = 5 Race = H Kinsey = 0/0

I identify as male, because I am. I will be 44 years old in about 10 days. Sexual activity is all around me, including staff on inmates and inmates on inmates. I am not a participant. It only offends me when they do not keep it private – I do not like to “see” it. About 50 are sexually active in prison – with staff and/or inmates. Rape is rare these days. It’s hardly heard of, but it does happen – about low 5%. Complaining about rape gets you laughed at. Most sex here is voluntary. Not much privacy is around, except in the showers. However, privacy between staff and inmates is easily found in closets and offices. What is homosexual sex these days? Most do not consider themselves homosexuals, but bisexual or neutral. Inmates that are caught by officers are given a writeup. Guards love sex too, and they do interact when it can be kept a secret. Opening up family visit to all inmates would reduce stress. Opening up sex in prison will not help but create more competition. Straight men do have sex with other men here, there is no pattern. Most just find trannies and pretend they are women. I have not a single ounce of dislike toward same sex couples. Love is love. I support them fully. I’ve been 100% straight all my life.

TX-289 OC = 1 Race = W Kinsey = 3/4

Male

62

Yes

Tolerant; used to seeing it

10% on this unit (have seen 50% on another unit).

Very rare.

Results in a positive action

Yes

In their cell or in the shower

Sometimes

Given a sexual misconduct disciplinary case

Never, that I know of

Reduce tensions

Yes. They adapt, as they tend to seek feminine types, after being approached by them.

No. Yes, as I am now HIV+. Yes.

Not feminine, but asked to be placed on “safekeeping” custody due to inexperience in prison life.

 

Joshua

I am an adult boy, age 40. I’ve never personally witnessed sexual activity in prison, other than the two (2) times I was raped. I’d guess approximately 5% of prisoners here are sometimes sexually active with other inmates. There are a lot of trannies here. I don’t know how frequently involuntary, coercive sex and rape occur here. Telling the officials anything labels one a “rat” or “snitch.” When I was first raped, the officials switched up my words and gave me a writeup and said I consented, but in prison, in California anyway, inmates cannot consent in sexual relations. With all the trannys here, most sexual relations that I have witnessed I’d presume are voluntary even more now that condoms are freely available. It’s 50/50 when it comes to inmates complaining about homosexual sex. Those caught having sex, well it depends on the official who catches the inmates, how much “juice” the inmates have, etc. I have heard of female staff and officials being “investigated” and fired for being overly familiar with inmates. The last I heard was of a male guard who got fired for having sexual relations with a tranny inmate.

Sex in prison betwixt inmates is pretty much allowed now that condoms are freely available in California! I’ve only seen black inmates who are otherwise completely straight on the streets who engage in “prison sex.” They are okay with it. They, that I’ve seen, go for usually a feminine type. Personally, I go for what are known as “twinks”! I did, over time, went from exclusively a BL, then to pedosexual, but now I like boys and twinks in diapers, I know go figure?? Being gay in prison has made me a victim of rape twice, so now I play the straight-acting role.

TX-334 OC = 9 Race = Mixed Kinsey = 7/1

We have worse things going on in here besides homosexuals wanting to get screwed and “crying rape” when they get caught. I will answer your questions on another page by itself. But in my opinion these “punks” who are “saying” someone raped them that B.S. really don’t go on, if anything the homosexual instigated the acts. It’s like in the world with women. Yeah, you may have some perverted people who prey on the weak, but truthfully 80% or more of alleged sexual crimes prosecuted, either the man took a plea in fear, or with the same situation as the former. The woman initiated the sexual act, a) got caught, b) got pregnant, etc.

Male

39 as of August 13th

Not in Texas, in TN in 2001 yes (consensual on both parts) punk did it for $ [he wrote the dollar sign]

Non-partisan. Yes it was a little offensive as anyone could see the act, other than that was none of my business.

On observation the “saying” there is more queers than steers in Texas is kinda accurate. Based on sight about 30%. This doesn’t count the closeters.

Non-existent. In what I have heard and seen it’s all been consensual. This doesn’t count for those perverts “jack off” on the woman workers. These are the ones we need to worry about if and when they get out.

No it doesn’t, both parties get written up and taken to (pre-hearing detention) P.H.P. and an O.P.I. (Offender Protection Investigation) P.C. in Texas. Prison is not a real P.C. They go to school, work, etc with everyone else. There is “no” protection in Protective Custody. Yes, complaining to the law “labels you a snitch.”

Yes, like 99% of it.

In the dorms they make a tent in cubicle. In the buildings a shower or their cell & put a towle over windows in door.

Yes

Same as answer in 7.

Not to my knowledge (I have never seen it) not to say it doesn’t happen. Besides “who” would believe us anyway.

Create more problems. I’ve personally witnessed punks put out of cells and sections.

Yes. I don’t know. Targeted are white, young, or straight-acting or closeters, or weak looking people. Not usually.

No. No. Yes.

No need to answer this question as it’s against my beliefs to be “Gay” or to otherwise go out of the proper sanctity of man and woman.

I feel your being worried over this new “gay” fad is good, but that your efforts could be better placed on other things, like living conditions, food, health of the prison population, officer brutality, and other offenders attacking, or otherwise harming other offenders for their charges. As I’ve said only about 20% of sexual based offenses did not occur as you see. Example. I was 20 years old working for a game owner at an F.O.P. (Fraternal Order of Police) carnival. Had no sexual intentions but because the police knew her and she told me she was 16, but she was really 13. I don’t know what she told the police but I went to jail instead of leaving with the carnival show.

Please send me a copy of research results

Yes, condoms are better than bread bags. Yes, it will slow down the HIV epidemic in prison. Also, the Hep C. BS. I identify as a heterosexual male. I am 39 years old as of August 13th 2019. I have witnessed sexual activity in the past in TN prison. I was not a participant. Yes, it offended me a little back then, but I tolerated it. I mean “hell” it’s their bodies and souls not mine.

You have about a visual 65% gay to 35% hetero who are sexually active. Men are “DOGS”. Seems sometimes if they can’t have drugs then they gotta get off. I think we have more closet homos than open fairies. This 65% is active, at least if they get caught then it’s “oh he forced me or raped me.” Most sex is consensual The LGBT’s use PREA as a way to keep from getting into some homosexual act. Complaint to the authorities does no good, even if you do get the sexual act forced upon you TDCJ charges both parties, so then you get punished for getting forced into sexual acts. We aren’t women they say “he did this or that.” We get in trouble then get coddled. Yes any telling is snitching. Involuntary sex is not very rampant thought I have been advanced upon 4 times, one resulting in rape w/ my own cellie doing it to me while in TCDJ in the last 6 years. While in the buildings I/M’s [he wrote this combination of letters here and in the next sentence. I’m not sure what it means because his grammar and sentence structure are hard to parse in general, so I just wrote it as it appears.] go out of place in each others cells or showers on 2&3 rows. Some I/M’s complain out right and run off gays others just cry sounding like they’ve missed out on something. Numerous CO’s have been walked off for establishing a relationship. By allowing sex it may either cause more problems or just at first, then like countries who’ve legalized all recreational drugs, slowly it changes the other way. Think when you tell a “man” you “can’t,” will not, etc. What does a man do?

When you were 16 to 21, drinking was fun, when you were allowed at 21, where’d all the fun go? I have not changed my own attitude of homosexuality. The guy who attacked me which I didn’t report said in the world he wouldn’t do anything with a guy. I kinda befriend the LGBTQ’s as a solo inmate we are the same group in the gang banger view.

I hope this helps any at all. El Shaddai keep his eyes upon you all.

FED-245 OC = 3 Race = W Kinsey = 1/0

As for your questionnaire, I am a straight 53 year old white male. I have not personally witnessed any sexual activities at any facility. I have heard through the “grapevine” that there is activity on occasion. The times that I heard of (if true?) it has been two gay men having consensual sex. My understanding that it is mostly among the gay community along with the transgender, but not all. I know a few gay men in prison that would never participate in sexual activity in prison. It may be that it’s not a safe (health) environment? Or just no attraction? I was at another facility that were caught (again heresay) and went to the Shu for a couple of days but released and reassigned to different units. I believe that is way to limit the access by separing them to make it difficult to be together. When you have up to 1,000 inmates or more from all walks of life, you are going to have the same sexual desires as you had on the streets. Someone just can not flip a switch and become someone they are not. If you were sexually active on the streets, you will continue it inside, when you have an enclosed environment to choose from. I know the federal corrections take any threat of unwanted sex very seriously. They investigate the situation thoroughly. I have never heard of any guards at any facility that I have been at violated an inmate. You will always have inmates talk negatively about gay and trans inmates, the same as they do on the street, but most just keep it to themselves. I also must put a disclaimer that I have only been to medium level federal prisons that are not active gang yards. I’m in a sex offender and gang drop out yard so it’s more laid back than other facilities. There seems to be more gay and trans men acting more open showing that they are gay, because there is no harmful threat from others as they may occur in other facilities? You do have the “straight on the street” inmate that will say “I’m not gay, but my dick is” that acts anti-gay, but does participate in receiving oral. (so it’s been said?) There is also the “pay to play” inmate that will have sex for pay, because they have no outside help financially, so they provide a service. I do not know if allowing inmates to have sex will do much of anything, because you are either going to participate in sex or not? Were in prison, if they want to have sex, which is going on now, making ok to do it won’t change that much. If you provided condoms? That may increase participation to the ones that feared diseases. So it may increase then? I grew up with an uncle who was gay through the 80s and he got HIV then, but through a cocktail of experimental drugs he was able to live to 37 years old until he finally lost the battle. So I’m very tolerant with the LGBT community, they can do what they want, I am not interested in participating in it. I am not interested in participating in it. I hope this helps with your research. The BOP and other prison facilities have a tough time having to manage the populations, they have to account for everyone’s civil rights. I’m sure there would be less drama if everyone was tolerant and not have the hierarchy that occurs in and out of prisons. Again I hope this does assist in your research, and would enjoy a copy of your results.

I look forward to your updated titles listing.

TX-45 OC = 1,3 Race = W Kinsey = 5/5

I am a gay man in a Texas Prison. I have completed 22 years. I am 58 years old, turning 59 in two months. I have personally witnessed sex acts in prison. I believe we would have a happier environment if we were allowed to have consensual sexual relationships. Especially for guys locked for sex offenses with children. These people should be allowed and encouraged to seek and establish sexually fulfilling relationships with adults. Once they realize they can be successful in an age appropriate sexual relation, the belief that children are their only means to sexual fulfilment will be replaced with the healthier and legal beliefs.

I would estimate 60% of prisoners are sometimes sexually active with another prisoners.

Involuntary sex/rape still happens, but not as frequently as before PREA entered our system in Texas. I’ve been raped twice. Once within the last year by an aggressive bully who stepped into my shower, forced me to my knees and entered me from behind, keeping me in a choke-hold the entire time, telling me “you’ve wanted this for a long time”. When I told him “no,” he said, “well, you didn’t yell or protest”. If I told, the bully would beat me up or find his home boys to do it. I am on “safe keeping,” even though there is nothing safe about this place.

We have individual showers where a little privacy exists. Our showers are in a blind spot. No one can see in them unless you standing directly in front of them on our building on Michael Unit. If sex isn’t happening in the showers, it happens in the cells. Prisoners hang a sheet or towel over the openings in their doors and utilize this privacy for a shorttime before a count or activity interrupts them. If the officers are lazy, the prisoners have hours before the cell doors will be opened for an activity. On this unit, we rarely see an officer between counts or activities. Administration encourages “wellness” and “security” checks every 30 minutes, but security officers ignore such encouragements.

My unit is currently on institutional lockdown for our annual shakedown of our property. We are locked inside our cells 24/7. If my cellmate and I were attracted to each other, we could screw like rabbits daily without interruptions. I can see why this unit rates highest in suicides in the entire state of Texas. I could be hanging from my heat vent with a sheet for hours before anyone noticed. But that’s a different research topic.

If guards catch someone having sex, they are handcuffed, locked-up in a security cell for the time it takes to investigate the incident and deliver punishment. Punishment includes cell restriction, loss of privileges (commissary, visitation, phone, recreation) and forfeiture of earned good time and an increase in security level.

There are those prisoners who finds sex between two men disgusting and speak their minds, but most of them indulge in sexual pleasures with cellies or neighbors secretly. The have images to maintain, of course.

If a female officer is “good”, a prisoner will be allowed to masturbate while she watches. There are also staff who sneak into mop closets for quickies with prisoners. Many an officer has been “walked off the unit” (fired) for such relationships with prisoners. When a guy can’t convince a female guard to please them, a girly man prisoner will have to suffice. I’m a manly gay dude, so they don’t approach me. Their homeboys would give them hell if they came on to another man. But if they gay person wears make-up, grows breasts and walks with a swish, it’s acceptable to enter into relationships with “him”. He is girly enough to not put a guy’s masculinity in jeopardy. Many of these prisoners who have turned girly, have only done so to gain acceptance from other men—they get very lonely and would not be eligible for a romantic relationship as they were naturally. They receive the attention and affection they crave, once they become girly men.

I was gay before prison. I seem to be the only one. I am told of wives and children of my neighbors who now play gay or become girly.

I make it clear to men who approach me for sex or relationships that I’m a gay man who likes gay men. This usually runs them off because they are looking to get pleased and care nothing of my needs or desires. My orgasms are just as important as theirs and I feel it is my partner’s job to get me there as it is my job to get them there. My policy is 50/50. That doesn’t work in here for these straight guys. I’ve looked for a gay man who has some intelligence, kindness and common sense to fall in love with, and have come-up empty handed in my 22 years. Oh, yes, there was that guy who did everything for me in secret, but he got so paranoid that someone would discover his secret, he cracked my ribs, bloodied my nose and fattened my lips to prove he’s a man (in public).

If you have any books left over, send me a stack of them. What I don’t read I will pass on to others and donate them to our library. Thank you for listening to my story. If you need more answers, feel free to write. Pen pals are welcome too!

 

 

TX-239 OC = 5 Race = B Kinsey = 0/0

I am simply a male born and raised

I am 35 years old

Yes I have personally witnessed sexual active in Prison

I have been a participant as well as witnessed such events. It did not offend me because it was consensual and between a man and a woman in my personal experience, a woman and two men in another instance, and a man and a woman as I watched out for the couple. 2007, 2009, 2009.

From my observations I hardly see the actual encounter, but I do see the punishment portion on behalf of inmates as well as that of administration.

Because of this place and the amount of deceit that exists I can not say I actually believe someone was raped here, often times it is used as a means to leave a housing assignment as well as the unit. The few I have known who were coerced into sex, were I believe “already about that life” as in they held previous relationships with similar outcomes.

I do not know, we hear things but once that label of raper or victim has been said, we no longer see them on the Unit. The way Snitch is used means you have given up information on someone else business if I were to see such an event, it would not be snitching as I am affected effected infected by another’s actions. Homosexuality/Rape are not kosher subjects many do not consider a victim a snitch in that sense unless he tells about other occurrences that do not relate to his body.

Consensual

Privacy is to make a tent, using blankets or sheets as a petition, privacy is to wait for everyone to go to sleep. Privacy is a concept in which is all mental if you have the training.

Yes, hell yes unless they are the ones engaging in such acts. It is looked down upon but also prevalent. Gang members/ family members/ organization members are not allowed to engage and often times will be X’d out for a violation of this act.

If it is inmate to inmate they are both locked up, given minor/major cases then released in separate buildings. If officer to inmate the officer is walked off while the inmate is shipped with disciplinary charges etc.

Yes. Sometimes during a pat search Homosexual male officers linger or grope. Females sometimes check out our “package” Sometimes we are told to stop showering/defecating/urinating and are watched till we have left the area. We have cameras in the restrooms and striping areas.

If by voluntary sex you mean allowing male inmates to have intercourse with real homegrown woman visitors/officers/volunteers/miscellaneous inconsequential strangers, it would reduce tensions. Especially if it were a way to judge the value of ones behavior or contributions to society. In a homosexual matter you now force other heterosexuals to see homosexual unions a; of it would be more stress, more intricate problems.

Yes, if they have harbored any curiosity they give in, there are no set patterns, people like what they like. Prison is place where you can become the best or worst version of self. If you are gay, you have been gay, you ust have not expressed or sought any truth yet.

I am a heterosexual male always have been. I am secure in self and do not delve into homosexuality, I judge no man for his passions. In my experience with woman I am now more willing to have kids to be married to be faithful. Life outside of prison logically will be different. I am older, wiser, heavier. The world has changed in the last 16 years exponentially. I am no longer a dispassionate insensitive murderer. Im different.

N/A

For s inmates we definitely value truth. Your word means everything you must have good word. You can lie to any and everybody but you must not be exposed as a fraud or a liar. In here a motto is “It is what it is” also “Its 2019” this means a person is what they are any variant is seen as a lie. If one is a homosexual that is accepted, but that comes with rules, I am a heterosexual male, I would not should not and can not drink after, eat after, spend a lot of time with a homosexual. On their behalf to not be ridiculed for their behavior or life choice they are not supposed to flirt with heterosexual males or anything that could be interpreted as courting. Most of us don’t care what you are as long as you don’t lie about it.

 

TX-164

Male

49

Yes

I found it offensive. On one occasion a guy was masturbating on a female officer (actually that happens a lot), on other occasions inmates will line up against the bars in the day room and masturbate together on the female in the picket. On a couple of occasions there was an inmate masturbating at a table in the day room to a female officer in the picket. The state (TDCJ) says they have zero tolerance and video cameras, but they continue to allow these actions to take place. The female officers do not report these offences I find this appalling, offensive and confusing because they say zero tolerance, but continue to allow those actions. Some of the females not only condone the actions but some encourage it by telling the inmates as long as they don’t interfere with their count or not to face them while they are masturbating.

On this unit you have couples hugging, holding hands, sometimes kissing. Some fallout of place to go with their boyfriends or girlfriends in their cells. I don’t knows what they do in there, but they spend their time together many times a week.

Surprisingly not very often. You don’t really hear about rape, involuntary or coercive sex its consensual until someone gets mad and then uses PREA as a form of retaliating against the person that broke with them.

On this unit protective custody doesn’t mean much because people (G.P.) are always in the hallway, chow hall and sometimes showers with PC so you draw your own conclusions on this one. As far as snitches; nowadays it’s called “bond money”. In order for you to stay out of trouble (it doesn’t matter if you masturbate on someone, drugs, get caught with shanks, or etc) you snitch on someone and you can continue to break the law or the rules can go unpunished.

Yes

Fall out of place and go to the other inmate’s cell.

Some do, some don’t, but as stated earlier here zero tolerance means just don’t get caught or have some “bond money”.

Some guards pretend they don’t see anything, the ones that get caught are back in General Population after a few days and back together in the same wing (sometimes cell) within a few days.

Maybe, I’ve heard of some occasions, but I don’t know of any for fact.

Honestly, that would create a very serious cluster fuck.

Yes they do (mostly lifers). They say they are never getting out and they want sex. There are men that say they are gay or are women trapped in men’s bodies or they just want sex. I don’t know, I’ve been approached, but I tell them I’m not interested in men.

If you’re gay, you’re gay; Don’t include me, don’t tell me. Nope, never been interested in men sexually. Look let’s get this straight…these people (TDCJ) don’t care and don’t really do anything to stop these code 20s (masturbation cases). They make money from people coming to jail, it seems as if they actually promote sex offenses.

I don’t know what LGBT means.

 

TX-95 OC = 5 Race = W Kinsey = 0/7

Male

44

Yes

Offended only because I believe this is a personal private activity between those involved.

A very small % maybe 3-5

Very rare

Complaints result in positive action—most of the time

Consensual

Shower stall or cell

Occasionally

Disciplinary Action

No

It would reduce some tensions but would also reduce the ability to determine coercion from voluntary—many predators’ currently held at bay would see this as an opportunity.

Yes—more feminine types

Yes, my attitude has changed. I have become indifferent to others sexual orientation and/or practices.

 

TX-251 OC = 1 Race = H Kinsey = 3/4

Male

54

No

N/A

I will say 40% of them

I think 90% is voluntary sex but I may be wrong

No answer to this but I believe the person accusing would be called snitch or punk

Most is voluntary but this is an opinion

Cold be in the showers. In a cell in between in and outs.

Ys, most of the inmates will complain not only about homosexual sex but also by the fact of two inmates touching each other in presence of others. They could ask one or both of them to leave the place voluntarily or would be beat up if not. It’s easy to be moved to another pod or wing.

The guard will write a disciplinary case—a major and send you to medium or maximum custody.

I don’t think so, I heard about relations between male inmates and female guards.

Allowing voluntary sex in prison? I don’t know what to say about this but I would say that is a better option but with protection. (condoms)

I think they were not completely straight in civilian life. I believe most of these “straight” people would go for oral sex over anal. I think there is one for everyone, I don’t think there’s a type. Some wait to be approached by others.

N/A

N/A

I would like to see a copy of your research results.

 

FED-164 OC = 6 Race = W Kinsey = 0/0

Male

68

Yes

Neutral

10%

Rare

Yes

Yes

None

Yes

Discipline—SHU

No

Yes

?

N/A

N/A

Yes, would like to see a copy of results.

 

TX-105 OC = 6 Race = H Kinsey = 0/0

Male

38

Yes

Yes it offended me because I am not gay and what others do behind closed doors is their business.

20% maybe more?

Frequent as long as the couple is able to be together where they can take care of their duty.

Not here at John B. Connally unit in TDCJ. And no you are not labelled a snitch cause the person getting violated has to complain. To other inmates it’s none of their business.

Yes

They just do

Yes

Nothing here at the John B. Connally cause half the staff here are gay as well

Not that I know of.

It would create more problems. What they need to do is let us have conjugal visits or bring back pornography to TDCJ.

Not that I am aware of.

No I am still straight and I do not care what others do with their sexual lives. I have relatives who are gay.

–—

Yes I would like a copy of your research results. Its funny answering these questions cause here at the John B. Connally unit I have come across two incidents where inmates were caught but yet nothing was done. But yet the safe prison’s program they got here wants you to participate in a course where they show you what to do if you are in a situation like that. I think they just do it for the funds the state provides to them.

 

CA-7 OC = 5 Race = H Kinsey = 6/6

Male

36

Yes

To some degree it did offend me because I believe sex should be in public

About 50%

Almost never

Due to the new “PREA” policy any attack does have a positive action.

Yes most is consensual

In the cell

Yes all the time

They get written up.

I heard of it happening before

It can go both ways.

Yes, most of the time they go after the transgender type or the feminine types.

Yes, my experiences have been changed. It has made me more cautious of others that are willing to “hook up”

As I have chosen to keep myself in the closet I’m not affected as much, but to the people and the time that I have come out I was more liable to victimization.

FED-215 OC = 3 Race = W Kinsey = 1/0

Have always identified as a straight male.

Arrested 11 years ago, currently 38.

Have heard sexual sounds behind blankets/curtains and in toilet stalls, but have only seen hand-holding and mouth-to-mouth kissing between gay-identifying males.

View myself as open-minded, but it’s usually the under-30 kids I remind to seek privacy

~20%

Rare if at all

During my 3 years here, one inmate checked in to avoid a known stalker. Two PREA claims were made by two inmates with unmedicated personality disorders (documented) that were unfounded.

Any sex here is between two consenting inmates or a consenting inmate and staff member.

Some older housing units have cells with doors. Otherwise inmates put up blankets or wait to go two to a stall.

The only inmates who complain are always indirect, going to counselors (who do nothing) or psychology (which can affect active programming) or another inmate who is just as passive-aggressive.

Inmates busted in the act by staff get SHU’d a couple weeks then put in a different unit-together.

Guards only engage with inmates sexually if the inmate is willing. Some have for years.

Voluntary sex would increase a great deal of stability and reduce tension. This would also threaten job security for staff so it’s not likely to happen in my lifetime.

There are several inmates here that identify as “exclusively heterosexual” and some are even married with children. A small number of them claim they’re “only bi in prison”, AKA “only gay-for-the-stay”. Others have only discovered now, after decades of marriage, they’re “bisexual”. They go for “what’s available”.

Have always identified as a straight male. Never was “afraid”(the root cause of hatred) of gay people. Have tried a few things to determine if I could be gay or bi (simple touching, holding, erogenous touching) and had little or no response of my own. The benefit I’ve found from being placed in exclusively PC facilities (charge-related and subsequent, documented attempted murder) is as I’ve gotten older I see that all things in nature, identified gender, sexuality, are fluid. I am secure in my sexuality and gender identity but realize how closed-minded it is to define these categories in black & white exclusively. Have also learned that these identities can be fluid well up to age 30+. The down-side is that in prison, the sexually over driven, or gender-dysphoric, tend to have a number of similarities in common have no social skills, play large numbers of role-playing games, only have interest in fantasy/fiction, have a history of being abused, are under age 26, or (oddly enough) are former military. This experience of prison opened me up to the reality that there’s more kinds of people and relationships that I knew before. The down-side is that this country’s mental-health system only works for the rich and the prison experiences taught me that “the legal system” only works for a small percentage of convicts; I’m not one of them. The benefits are far outweighed by the negatives, so there is no purpose to re-offend.

I’ve supported LGBT before prison, and never had a problem with anyone based on their sexuality. Inmates afraid of what’s “different” may bare their teeth, but they have no fangs.

I would very much like to see a copy of your research results.

 

TX-77 OC = 6 Race = Mixed Kinsey = 0/0

Male

I am 38 years old.

Yes, I have witnessed sexual activity in prison.

I was tolerant to an extent. A former cellmate would ask if I would permit him and his lover to go in the cell while I was away.as long as they stayed off my bunk and cleaned up after themselves it did not bother me, and they had to be done and out of the cell by the time I returned. On that same unit there was a lot of homosexual activity which was somewhat accepted by administration and inmates. In the communal showers it was very packed and I once witnessed one man gratifying another with his hand. I was very uncomfortable and upset by witnessing that. That was when I first arrived there. A fellow inmate told me that the area of the communal showers where I was at was reserved for those activities. Being that I was new I did not know. I began bathing in my cell using the sink to avoid that.

I would say 50% are sometimes sexually active with other inmates.

Not at all on this facility, but very often on my last facility.

It varies, it can be positive and sometimes confined to P.C. They are only labeled snitches by those who engage in that behavior. The non-predators do not see it as a snitching.

Yes, but most sex is consensual.

By going into one another’s cell.

Only when it effects them. For example, I do not want to see some guy giving another guy a hand job in the shower. If they want to have sex, I don’t care, but do it in private.

They are disciplined.

Not that I am familiar with.

It would create more problems. Dudes are ready to kill over boodie. My former cellmate’s boyfriend was hostile to anyone who interacted with my cellmate. He would pull a shank out on people sometimes. He was obsessed over that boodie, or booty, and it took them being moved away from each other before my former cellmate felt safe enough to end things.

Yes, all the time. Some are shameful and try to be discreet. Others say they are just freaky and not gay. Others use drugs and blame it on being high and not remembering. They usually go after the feminine types and a lot of the times wait to be “chosen” or approached by the feminine types.

No, it hasn’t. No, I am here for a family violence case.

N/A

Yes, I would like to see a copy of results.

FED-246 OC = 3 Race = B Kinsey = 0/0

Male, Hetero

32 yo

Not a witness

N/A

66-75% are in some way

Not often if ever, involuntary

Snitches are separate and sometimes put “on blast”. There is no PC here

Yes voluntary, here at least

Curtains + dark corners EVERYWHERE

Yes, as if complaining would stop it

Old facilities special housing (SHU/Hole…) Here, nothing (soft yard)

Very no, our guards kick ass (ass literally)

Reduce tensions but be weird to others

Yes, some believe giving isn’t gay or its “just some head”. They go after the transgendered.

Yes, I’ve learned to look away and not care. Let them do what they want. I’m not reoffending but only because it sucks here. I’m miserable.

I’m not no N/A

TX-264F OC = 1 Race = W Kinsey = 5/6

I am a woman by birth and I identify as female.

Age is fifty one.

Yes, I have witnessed sexual activity in prison. More so on the Hobby unit than any other. It was not witnessed because of voyeurism, but because of others lack of curiosity of myself and others, and out of lack of self-respect on the part of the two sexual partners and their lack of respect for their partner.

Yes, I am offended by public copulation. I am not offended by a kiss, or hand holding etc. there is no reason to have sex in a public place like the dayroom couches or at a table. This is a good place to answer question nine.

Based on what I’ve seen only 1% are actually sexually active. About 20% either claim to be or would like to be.

I have not seen evidence of nor heard of involuntary or coercive sex or rape. But I am on a woman unit. Based on that question 7 is not

N/A

As far as I know, all or any sex here is consensual.

There is opportunity for privacy and some do seek privacy rather than public displays. That old saying, “get a room,” applies here in cell ___. One can go into their or their partner’s room, after clearing it with their roommate/bunkie. Or there is the shower if you have them in the dorm or in the wing. In dorms where there are cubicles some will sneak at night into each other’s cubicle, or in the shower at night.

Some do complain if it is in their face or if they get their room used without permission. Or if they have a grudge against one or both sexual partners. Then there are those who object for religious reasons. Usually, complaints are not taken to the authority; because, snitches are not well looked upon.

It depends on the guard as to what happens when people are caught in sexual activity. It could be inponsed or it could result in a major case.

If anyone in Texas prison gets three “sex cases” They have to register as a sex offender when they get out.

I have heard of guards violating inmates sexually. I have also, more frequently, heard of voluntary sex between guards and inmates.

I do not know what the result of allowing voluntary sex in prison would be. It might be a good thing if privacy was provided. I do not think it should be allowed everywhere or anywhere a person decides to.

I do not know about the men. The women seem to want to be “Gay for the state”. Lots will get a “girlfriend”; whether they are sexually active or not I do not observe. Most of the women/females will go after someone in their age group. But there are the “Stud Bro ads” who will go for anything with commissary, or any pretty female. I have had friendships with true lesbians in here who do not have sex at all while in prison, and also friendships with lesbians who will form a close relationship with one woman who they call their “wife.”

Yes, prison observations have changed my attitude toward Lesbianism. I am now less inclined than before to be involved in a sexual relationship with another woman.

I am not L.G.B.T.

Yes, please send me a copy of the research results.

WI-2 OC = 1 Race = W Kinsey = 3/4

I identify myself a bisexual male that is confuse in my sexual desires/my Christian belief. I’m 47 yrs old D.O.B Jan 28, 1972.

Yes, I’ve seen sexual activity in prison and it has been only inmate w/ inmate, mostly in shower also once in storage room in kitchen. It sometime has struggle seeing other having sex because of my belief on Christian, but then I desire it and I know other desire sex then my attitude is acceptable too. I sometimes want to get involved w/ it to join in.

I really do not know the %, but there are a lot of homosexual/transgender here o could say 40% maybe more almost every unit has homosexual or more there is over 2500 inmates here I could say there is about maybe 200 homosexual in this prison, it could be more or less.

I only heard 2 cases since I’ve been lock-up for 2 year that have been rape. Most time the PREA is before sexual act lie sex harassment or verb. They also had false PREA like me. the cellie said he is bisexual. I asked him why he told me do want have sex w/ me. He told me no he has relationship and he told me what done w/ him kiss, the guy sucks his penis, he fucks him ass. He had got caught having sex w/ him on other unit he was trying cell up w/ him. He want me get out of cell so he did PREA on me. He has done this before. I have been in Seg for 26 days without conduct report on 22 day I got a conduct report. He even lied that I looked at child porn im trying get my tablet back for security not sale if it is back in property. No one has told me anything that is since 8/6/19-9/5/19.

The victim is protective no suppose know he or she done a PREA unless he or she said something to somebody about it. People have been called snitches/liars also. The person that did the (verbal/physical) assault will be in Seg even falsely. Most sexual acts are voluntary consensual and most of sexual act are in there room or in shower. I have done both also in storage room in kitchen. I have heard people complain about homosexual/transgender calling them bitch, they get away w/ everything, they run the prison, they get less time in Seg (not true)even w/out sexual act.

When officers or staff catch the persons in the sexual act they are both going to Seg and could please question by a white shirt or who does the PREA investigation to see if it was volunteering. Both will get a conduct report go on hearing and get your time could be 30 days. 360 in restrict housing unit. When you are in RHU you are allowed 1 personal soap or 3 small state soap, 1 soap dish, 1 toothpaste, 1 small toothpaste, pen w/out case, 1 deodorant, 4 personal books, 2 Seg books, 2 chapel books if write them, Seg rubber cup, stamps/paper, 2 bags coffee, 1 box crackers, 5 candy bars, 2 kool-aide, no magazines w/ staple. If you get more than 120 days they could get TV or radio, not tablet, but have to do about 80 days of 120 days.

I have heard staff had sex w/inmates. Female officer, nurses, kitchen staff, 2 chaplain 1 here 5 years ago and I at youth prison that I was surprise. I knew that Chaplain at a different prison I been at. I believe if we were allow to have sex with other inmates. I believe tension would be down and allow us have fuck books back, but this has to be consensual. The staff know about it being consensual before they have sex w/each other.

I have seen straight guy—so are they real straight they are still having sex with a man. It is considered homosexual act, most time they the man.

I have a sexual addiction since the age of 5 or 6 yrs old seeing porn (naked books female/male, oy of sex-learn about sex-masturbation and video) in my parent’s bedroom.

I’m bisexual and I have had several sexual partners and sexual assault at age of 16 yr old most have not been charged, only 2 and not mention other assaults. The 2 charges was 2 boys age 6 and 7 yr old. I had oral and anal sexual assault with them. I challenged my thinking pattern of having sex with anyone underage of 18 yr old. I have problem being with young children w/ their behavior (crying, running around and being loud) I do not want to be around them. I still struggle w/ sexual desire w/ my thoughts w/ teenagers w/ their puberty age they are sexually active that age and I need challenge my thinking. I struggle w/ self-control of sexual practices/homosexuality. My belief as Christian it is against the bible, but the sexual desire /temptation is for it. I’m also not poplar with LGBT because what I believe in the bible. That homosexual is a sin and I have mentioned that.

TX-139 OC = 5 Race = W Kinsey = 0/0

male

32

Yes

Not Participant. Slightly offended. To each their own but I don’t wanna see it.

15-20%

Not frequent anymore. Just lots of gays and closeted gays.

Complaining to authorities about ANYTHING labels you a snitch. Not good. If you’re fucked up about any situation you either fix it yourself or deal with it. Protective Custody is for those unable to protect themselves and Transgenders.

Voluntary

Showers or inside wrong cells

Its crazy, like they tolerate super gayness in fear of lawsuits. We’re not allowed conjugal visits, pornography, or even masturbating while looking at a female guard without major discipline. But 2 gays banging in the shower and they’ll just send them back to their cell. Like they WANT us to be gay.

Yes, complaints even by guards, but they’re tolerant and indulgent for fear of lawsuits.

Not that I’ve seen

More problems

Yes, they do, mostly as long as they think nobody will find out.

Nope. Only women for me, & masturbation without it.

Not LGBT

 

TX-299 OC = 6 Race = Mixed Kinsey = 0/0

Male

42 years of age

No

No

They have safe keeping here which are mostly homosexuals

I really wouldn’t know, but I hear about it from time to time.

Any time you complain they don’t believe you

I wouldn’t know

Put a towel or sheet up on your door

Some do

Some guards write them up and some like to watch

Yea, with pat &strip searches

Reduce tension

Yes, we call them the down low brothers who go after feminine type

I’ve learned a lot in here, I’m not homophobic no more, I’ve been educated on it. I don’t Judge and have showed me to practice safe sex when I get out because you have guys in here who indulge and get out and affect their girlfriends &wives

I’ve always been identified as straight

I would like to see a copy of you guys research

 

FED-289 OC = 1 Race = W Kinsey = 0/0

Male

41

No, not objectively

I do get offended when I hear about it because, to me, in some selfish way it just doesn’t seem fair. I cannot have sex because I like women.

I’m on a sex offender yard. My estimate of the sexually active is 35-45%

Involuntary/coercive is far less than voluntary because the other is usually trying to get some “material” thing.

Telling the guards anything result in the “snitch” stigma for most. If there is ever any “positive action” it is rarely seen. But again, on a sex offender yard, most case are voluntary.

Yes

The occurrences happen in the bathroom in the Chapel; in the Library and in Recreation. Our compound has implemented a strict rule of 1 person at a time in the bathroom, but those who are desperate ignore this rule. Plus, some will sneak into another unit and hide in another guy’s cell. They do get caught—I saw one guy, 2 days ago in my unit—but how they are disciplined, I cannot be certain.

Straight inmates do complain about it because it is the guys that break the rules and get caught that leads to the entire compound getting disciplined in some way. Most recently, my unit was kicked out for 2.5 hours while we all got shook down. I am Mental Health Companion and reside in a Health unit with care level inmates. These guys should not be stuck out in the desert sun for hours and have their cell torn apart because the guy want to have sex. That’s why we complain. Corporeal punishment ensures that everyone pays for one more mistake.

Answered above

I have never seen or heard of this.

Allowing voluntary sex in prison is a terrible idea because we are dealing with a population of people (­­myself included) who do not live in moderation. 90% of the fights on THIS yard are because of sex, jealousy or “love”. Allowing conjugal visits could solve problems because then everyone would have access to some way to release sexual tension. If sex is sanctioned on a prison yard such as this one, then so should be drugs, porn and other vices for similar reasons.

There are many reference to “prison Gay.” These guys are straight, and even married (to female), but in here, they are homosexual. From my own observations, they do not seem to change how they behave, and some go for more feminine men or transgender. For my first 3 years I kept finding myself at who was with who. Hand-to-the-forehead surprised. I’ve also noticed a lot of the younger looking guys targeting the older men. This is a sex offender yard, primarily. So, there is a mutual partnership with this particular arrangement. The young looking guys get shoes, commissary, etc… One old dude gets what he wants.

I have been incarcerated for 4 years, going on 5, for a sex offence. Specifically, production of child pornography, and I’m serving 60 years. I’m not proud of what I did, and I was not some sex crazed offender. I lived a normal and successful life, married for 20 years—had 7 children with my wife, and only had like 4 sexual partners in my life. Before prison, I had a VERY naïve view of the world. People, specifically. There are a lot of people here are repeat offenders and enjoy what they’ve done. I could never have imagined that that was possible! So, in that respect, it’s changed. Being here, I have programmed since DAY 1 having graduated from the Challenge Program and I attend the S.O.T.P program currently. This cognitive therapy has changed me entirely. My STATIC 99 score is a negative 2 with -3 being the lowest possible. This score was determined BEFORE my therapeutic programming and to determine possible recidivism likelihood. With continued therapy, I will not re-offend. (And likely, without) I am still fighting my case and awaiting the judge’s decision on my 2255 Argument that I just turned in on Oct. 21st. I’m hoping to get back into court; to be assigned an attorney, and have my sentence decreased. I believe I deserve to do time—just not my life.

I am not an LGBTQ-identified person, but I volunteer and host their events on the yard and sometimes provide entertainment. I support those who have the courage to be their truest “self.” I had a problem with pedophilia and was afraid to talk about it. If I had talked about it, and not have been afraid to accept “who” or “what” I was, then I would likely not have offended. And I would not have created my victim. My problem runs in my family. So, my message to my 5 sons is to never be afraid to talk to each other about their personal struggles because if I had done that with someone, they would still have their Dad out there. So, I support the LGBTQ laws. And I do get scoffed at by some guys, but those guys have some growing up to do.

 

TX-146 OC = 5 Race = H Kinsey = 0/0

Male—bi

54

Yes

Not as a participant, tolerant, it’s their business

I’m just guessing, 25%

I really don’t know, but it does exist

Prison officials have actually gotten more involved with inmates when it comes to sexual and extortion cases. When taking legal action on the offender, which can result in being prosecuted. One does get labelled as a snitch.

Voluntary and consensual

Go into a shower stall or into one of their partner’s cell, fall out of place. However, now these days it’s hard to do that with all the cameras installed and an inmate will more than likely snitch you out. Especially those who like to kiss official’s ass.

Yes they do, to gain some favoritism, if nothing else.

They get a disciplinary case

I’ve never seen it myself, but have heard of it, even read some court suits.

I really don’t know, but perhaps, reduce tensions.

I’m going to say at least 50% do. A lot of time one partner becomes more possessive over the other, especially over the one playing the girl. A lot of time the older one does go after the younger and more feminine type. And if one has money, that really reels them in. I believe the straight one usually waits to be approached.

In the free world, I probably had a hand full (5), encounters with only transgender, because they were very feminine looking and they dressed like a woman. But, fact is that the 19 yrs I’ve been in prison, I have not had any sexual encounters with any inmates. There probably has been half a dozen that did get my attention for a minute, but it’s not the same when they are dressed as a woman. Oh no, I have a strong passion for women. Not in here for a sex offense.

N/A

*Please send me a copy of your research results, thank you.

 

TX-134 OC = 6 Race = W Kinsey = 0/0

No, I do not identify myself as female or transgender, but as a male only

I am fourty-eight years old this year.

Yes, I did gain the opportunity to witness people engaged in sexual situations.

Yes, it did offend me because I do not participate in homosexuality. So seeing two grown men who cannot control themselves engaged in a sexual manner does anger and affects me in a bad way.

From what I do see in this place, I see about ninety-six percent of people engaged in some form of sexual relationship with different partners. I only see very few people as myself that abstains from any sexual relationships with different inmates in this place.

In prison I only did see rape, per se, a couple of time, but only after the rapee had initiated it at first, but then recanted after the first couple of sexual encounters. The most rape that I had witnessed that were considered truly rape or coercive were only in the county jail.

If such coercive relationships or attacks are reported, usually it is the victim that is punished by the authority. Nothing nice can come out from letting authorities become aware of what is going on. They seem to fumble through paperwork or in collecting info, proper info, on what really is going on in prison. In most part, they are blind to what actually goes on behind these bars. Plus, they tend to oust the person who told. The perpetrator has more of an opportunity to do something to the victim before the victim can be safely taken out of that situation, I am aware from experience. And yes, the victim is called a snitch.

In most cases that I did witness, yes it is. Most of the time it is only done to gain commissary.

In different prisons it varies as I did see. But most is done in the cells, I did see some wait until the officer turns its back and the second person will sneak into the shower of that inmate waiting on him. Or they will skip lunch or dinner and sneak into a cell and engage in sex, when they come around to do an in and out. They just come out of the cell and go to the proper cell assigned to them. I am aware of this all too often, because my cell mate does this often, although I hate it, because that means he’s engaged in a sexual relationship with a man in my cell too.

It is on account of what prison you are in at telford, they just did engage in oral sex in the dayroom and nobody said a thing. At this prison, if you are seriously nerdy and engage in some sort of sexual manner they will complain. But if you are popular or a bully then nobody complains. But it is done in the closet that we possess for mops, brooms, and cleaning equipment. Then again we do possess about three or four inmates that think that they are prison guards and will tell the actual guards anything that they see. One inmate goes around looking into cells to see if he can see anything he can tell the guards about.

That also goes according to which prison you are in. some as I did see, like to just watch the sexual escapade continue. It’s like they are excited by the sexual sight. Which different ones just ignore it and keep walking. Some separate the inmates, some are handed cases while different ones are just told not to do it anymore and are moved to different sections.

You cannot violate the willing. If an inmate can obtain sex from a guard and find opportunity to gain advantage with a guard over different inmates. Then that’s an opportunity gained that plus if and when it does come down to it they will only say that the guard forced him so he can be paid money from the prison system.

I do feel that allowing these inmates to engage in a sexual manner only allows them to show the true self that’s in them. I mean, this one inmate once told me before he went home was, “You are not considered gay if you quit two weeks before you go home.” I’m sorry but no matter how you look at it, but if you suck a different man’s phallus or stick your pecker in a man’s butthole, no matter how you look at it, you’re gay not straight. I feel that allowing inmates to possess same sex affairs would not solve any problems only create more problems in the long run.

I listen to a lot of men that come into prison or jail say that they are straight, but most of the time that is a lie. They only say that they are straight so as not to be named. About ninety-six percent of all male inmates that I did see come to jail or prison engage in homosexuality, especially colour people and white people. Almost all coloured people that approached me only approached me for some sexual gratification. I told them that I was not a homosexual. They would respond not to tell anyone that they approach me sexually. White people on the second hand, when they approach me sexually I just tell them I was not gay and they will just walk away. One white inmate came to me when I first come to this particular prison. He asked me how I feel about homosexuality before he was aware that I was not gay. I responded that I thought that all homosexuals should be on death row. He just looked at me funny and smiled and walked away, after that nobody approached me sexually. Most people look for the young, girly looking type that will put out. No if it is an older man, (straight), if he is trying to obtain the attention of a very young homosexual that is probably a warning that he is a child molester. In most cases that is true. The very young inmates look to different inmates to see what commissary they can obtain. It’s almost always about the commissary because with commissary they can buy drugs, sex, alcohol, tattoos, or don’t need to go to the chow hall to eat because they possess food in the locker or the sexual partner’s locker. Most inmates when they first come into prison, they test the environment before deciding what group to hang with. You’ll see them jump from group to group till they find themselves comfortable with a certain type of group. Usually when a new inmate comes in, nobody wants to be approached. Most approach the inmate like you see on one of those zombie movies, they ask questions, say statements, and check out the new merchandise.

Well, I didn’t hate homosexuality when I was in the world, I was like if they don’t trouble me, than I will not trouble them. I at no point participated in homosexuality in the free-world. But after being around homosexuals in this place I really, really hate homosexuals a lot. I will not go out of my way to harm them, but I will not assist them only in a life threatening situation, but aside from that, no! I don’t possess faith in death of anyone or anything. Yes, my life will be different once I come out of this place, because I will possess the prison skills to see when someone is trying to run game as they say in this place. Before prison, I was ignorant to many con games that people play from women or men. It also makes me appreciate the little things and disappointments to come. But it also makes me want or desire a woman the more. I mean sexually I did abstain from any sexual act. So I could imagine the first beautiful girl I engage sexually will probably think that she is engaged in a sexual act with a horse or bull, because I will be literally pounding on that girl with full force as though I am trying to break the girl’s pelvis in half with my pecker. You might laugh, but I do feel that prison has made me more bold or forceful sexually. I would probably try to possess sex with a girl for about two or three days straight nonstop until one of us bleeds first. Well, I’m not in prison for a sex offense and I do not see why a man or woman would need to rape a woman in the first place. That only scars the victim for life. They cannot recover from such an act as rape. That’s stupid. Any man that cannot be laid by approaching a girl can always pay for it. Besides girls do exist that will sleep with anyone including animals. How desperate do you need to be to rape someone makes no sense and if you are a woman, she can be laid anytime. Men do exists that will stick a pecker into anything just to possess an orgasm. So no, I am one-hundred percent sure that I am not likely to re-offend anyone or anything. I possess a life to live and plans for a future if the Creator permits it.

But overall, prisons do not rehabilitate people. It creates more hardcore inmates. I see it all the time. I did see inmates go home and back three or four times repeatedly. I think myself how stupid are these people to come back. That’s because TDCJ doesn’t put a plan in these inmates life for a future. TDCJ is in the corporation of commodity. We inmates are the product that keeps the money flowing in. If they actually rehabilitated inmates. They would lose money. Now that’s the truth as I see it in this place. Why do you think I did see these guards bring in K2 or different types of drugs. In most cases, it is the rank that bring it in not the simple guard. They are only the pin that moves if once it is in the prison system. Now who’s the crook. Look at Allred, he was arrested for embezzlement and he found all inmates guilty when they were handed major cases. I was one that saw him with a bogus case, but it still went through because they need us to look bad so the money can keep coming in. I could expose a lot of officers in a lot of prison systems that I was in, but when you remove something bad out of the way. Something worse will take its place.

Anyway that’s why I try to order certain books from you, because I try to self-educate myself because tdcj doesn’t try to do it. They don’t want smart inmates. You can’t control a smart inmate, but a dumb one. I plan to continue my education once I’m out of this place.

FED-86 OC = 1 Race = W Kinsey = 5/5

Male

46

Yes

My attitude was generally tolerant. That is, tolerant of the activity, even at times I personally disliked one or both of the participants involved. The majority of participants are actually quite unappealing both physically and personality-wise.

It’s hard to get an accurate percentage. On the one hand, many couples I’ve known have turned out to be platonic, and it’s easy to assume they’re active, even though they’re not. On the other hand, many inmates are active yet discreet and avoid detection. I’m guessing maybe about 20% are actually active, based on what I’ve seen and heard. (Keep in mind that there are also braggarts who claim to have had discreet encounters which can’t be verified, since the alleged partners would always deny such a claim.)

In my facility, almost never. However, PREA (Prison Rape Elimination Act) is often used as a weapon, with inmates making false claims in order to get rid of an enemy or perceived romantic rival. That said, I have noticed a number of unhealthy psychologically manipulative relationships in prison which could potentially be perceived as “coercive,” but generally, that’s irrelevant as we are dealing with consenting adults who chose to associate with bad company, despite warnings by other inmates.

If a complaint is an “I’ve said—he said” situation, the accused is usually put solitary for investigation. If the accusation can’t be proved, the accused is released from solitary and placed in a different dorm, away from the accuser this is good because it reduces the damage created by base accusations. At least the prison doesn’t take punitive action if the accusation can’t be proven, which is fair. On the other hand, any sexual activity in prison is forbidden, even consensual acts. So if a staff member catches two inmates caught in the act, both inmates will be sent to solitary for around 60-90 days and lose good time and other privileges. This was happening a number of times—I can think of around a dozen such incidents in the decade I’ve been at this prison. Usually, however, inmates are caught by other inmates, who may or may not report them to staff. Complaining generally gets one labeled as a “snitch” if the accusations are frequent and clearly unwarranted. I know one inmate who files complaints on other inmates around 3-4 times a year. He appears to be suffering from paranoid delusions and has filed complaints against inmates for “suggestive looks” that made him feel uncomfortable.” The staff regard him as “the boy who cried wolf,” but by law all of his accusations have to be investigated. Creating hardship on those falsely accused.

As I noted in #7, most of the activity is voluntary and consensual actually there are a lot of “mind games” reg. an older inmate bribing a younger, more attractive inmate with commissary, money or drugs, while the younger inmate exploits and uses the older inmate for his money, much like the classic “sugar daddy-waseboy” dynamic. I, usually the inmates understand these games and know what they’re getting into. Also, there is a degree of hustling or prostitution where drug addicts will offer themselves in exchange for postage stamps (our prison currency) or drugs.

This was a low security facility with open dormitories and no cells, so a lookout is usually, but not always required. Privacy can be found in the following places: toilet stalls, shower stalls, supply closet, etc. over the years, more security cameras have been installed, limiting the options for privacy. However, inmates have been able to figure out the cameras’ blind spots, and, with a lookout, have been able to use band rooms in recreation empty classrooms and rooms in the chapel. All these rooms have windows, so again, a lookout—and careful positioning—is required. It is possible to have encounters in open dormitory cubicles late at night or when most inmates are in the chow hall at meals, but again, a lookout is required.

The inmates complain face into three categories: 1. General homophobes who are heterosexual, 2. Religious gays struggling with their own guilt—these “ex-gays” are not only very likely to “snitch”, they are also very likely to get caught having sex themselves. (religious hypocrisy is their norm. the one religious group I’ve found to be most outwardly homophobic—black Muslims—is the group most likely to engage in gay sex on the “down low,” I cannot count the number of times I’ve been propositioned by outwardly homophobic Black Muslims in prison. It’s now kind of a cliché, and the nation of Islam in particular has quite a reputation for sexual hypocrisy.) 3. Openly gay inmates trying to sabotage another relationship out of jealousy. There is a lot of envy, jealousy and backstabbing in the prison gay community, and gays are more likely to report sexual activity that straights, who may be offended but don’t have a personal agenda.

See question #7. Generally, if guards are aware that two inmates are in a relationship they, generally tolerate the couple, but if they catch the inmates in the act, both inmates are sent to solitary. Harassment by guards has decreased somewhat over the years, possibly due to changing societal attitudes. Gay inmates live in a world now where they could legally get married on the outside, yet face punishment for consensual activity on the inside. These days, the prison staff seems less eager to punish gay inmates than they used to, possibly out of fear of discrimination lawsuits.

I cannot confirm this story, but in my time here one inmate was swiped to a higher security facility, and the rumor among the inmates was that he had been caught having sex with a female staff member. I have never heard of a male staff member violating any male prisoners here, however.

I believe that providing condoms would be a great benefit, but the prisons won’t do it because they see it as a facility condoning sexual activity. I think openly allowing voluntary sex might create more problems in terms of jealousy which could lead to fights and more tension in general. Also, when inmate couples engage in public displays of affection—almost inevitable with the lack of privacy—it offends many straight inmates. The problem with allowing voluntary sex is that it would require private, unmonitored spaces. Prison staff doesn’t want this because these places would be inevitably used for other, more forbidden activities. Such as tattooing, fighting, smoking, and doing drugs. In addition, inmates are very territorial, and a few would monopolize use of the rooms, just as they do with TV rooms and other resources. Sadly, giving inmates access to privacy would result in misuse of that privilege. We regularly have privileges taken away when a few “bad actors” find a way to exploit or misuse that privilege. The “tragedy of the commons” is a daily reality in prison. Even though I think allowing inmates to have sex is a good idea in theory, I know exactly how it would fail in practice. Still, I believe the medical department should be allowed condoms. I know of several men who have contracted HIV in prison for sure—this I’ve confirmed—and I’ve heard rumors of other people contracting HIV.

There seem to be several patterns here. Some straight men exclusively approach transgender or very feminine men. While some “straight” guys prefer younger or straight-acting men, that is generally the preference of the openly gay men. Surprisingly, a lot of “straight” men instead seem to make a beeline for men considered undesirable in the gay world; the elderly, the morbidly obese, those with poor hygiene and rotten teeth, and the extremely unattractive. This has often baffled me as it seems to be a complete inversion of what men prefer on the outside world. It could be that many straight men in prison are simply looking to “get off” and, since they aren’t actually sexually attracted to men, aesthetics isn’t an issue. They may approach undesirable men because they are perceived as more easy/willing/desperate. Or there could be money involved. In fact, a general rule in prison is that the more physically repugnant you are, the more sexually active you are. Again, it baffles me. And it’s usually the straight men who are the pursuers.

My experiences in prison have taught me to never assume anything about another person’s sexuality. I don’t see people as “gay,” “straight,” or “bi” anymore, and I don’t trust my own “gaydar” anymore as I’ve been surprised too many times. I do, however, notice that a great deal of men are extremely uncomfortable with identifying as homosexual. This manifests in a lot of religious hypocrisy, as is to be expected. But what I didn’t expect is to meet so many men who would rather identify themselves as “boy lovers” or “pedophiles” (quite proudly, too) but absolutely refuse to consider themselves gay. I’ve always assumed that since there is a much more stigma attached to being a boy lover or pedophile than there is to being gay these days, that men would be more comfortable identifying as a gay person than a minor-attracted person. But many who will gladly tell you “their age of attraction” for young boys will get visibly upset if you call them gay. Many are or were married and admit a preference for adult women and underage boys, but they aren’t attracted to adult men and vehemently deny that they might be homosexual. I don’t know what this says about them, but I find it very odd. As far as how my own experiences have changed my own attitudes, I have met so many strange people here that my own sexual practices and desires seem barely normal in comparison. I had one long-term relationship in here and found it a struggle to maintain due to lack of privacy and interference from nosy inmates. Also, it was very claustrophobic because you see the person every single day. And much like a workplace romance, it’s all the more painful because you keep seeing the person every day after you’ve broken up and you can’t get away from each other until one of you is released or transferred. Overall, I’ve found sexual relationships in prison to be very disappointing because prisoners are, as a group, surprisingly unattractive. There are 1,800 inmates in this prison and, on average, I only find about 4-6 individuals attractive or interesting enough to want to pursue at any given time. While there are plenty of opportunities to have bad sex with people that turn me off (I’ve had my share, and it’s not worth the stress and risk of getting caught), I’m not interested in sex for sex’s sake. I am actually looking forward to having sex on the outside—even though I’ll be 18 years older than when I was arrested, I know I’ll have better opportunities for good sex—with privacy—than I do in here. As someone in prison on a sex offense, I think my experiences with the criminal justice system not prison in particular—will make me less likely to re-offend. I will be marked for life and under a great deal of scrutiny, so there is a deterrent element, but very little of a rehabilitative element. Rehabilitation is lacking, and what programs there are are analogous towards entrapping the participant into “confessing” uncharged crimes. Talking to people who’ve taken such programs have convinced me that they are nothing more than extended interrogations. My prison experiences are largely irrelevant. Once you realize that prison is your new home, remorse and regret tends to disappear quickly as you adjust to the task of adjusting to and coping with your new environment.

I identified as openly gay before prison and, while I’ve met many other gay people in prison-a disproportionately large number, considering the rate in the general population—I have never experienced such unrelenting homophobia (both from inmates and staff) in my entire life. While I have not been physically attacked (thankfully) the demeaning treatment, put-downs, insults and snide comments gets very tiring. While I do get a lot of poor treatment for being a sex offender, again, I think that being gay in the bigger stigma here. At least my prison is fairly safe and I’m thankful that the harassment is nowhere as bad as it is at some other prisons I’ve heard about.

 

TX-74 OC = 1 Race = W Kinsey = 0/1

I am a Texas prisoner. First, let me apologize for such a late response. My life is very full. So much so, that I have to plan out what I want to accomplish the next day every evening. Your questionnaire has been on my list and we have finally gone on our semiannual lockdown shake-down, so I have some downtime.

I have desired to complete your questionnaire because I have a unique perspective on the issue. Allow me to explain, I am 63 years old. The first time I came to prison was 1976. A very different world. I was released in ’79 and spent 15 years free before I reentered prison where I have been for the last 24 years. For the last 20 years I have been on “safe-keeping.” In the Texas prison system “safe-keeping” is defined as being housed and recevated with “Less aggressive” offenders. One of the criteria for being placed on safe-keeping is sexual orientation, though there are openly gay inmates in general population. We are kept segregated from general population in housing areas and in outside recreation yards. We are allowed to work, dine, and attend programs and services with general population inmates as long as a security staff member is present. The safe-keeping housing is the same type as general population with 2-man cells and a common day-room with TVs and games tables. “Protective Custody” is not the same. “Protective Custody” is complete segregation from any other inmates.

I am a heterosexual male. I grew up in a small rural Texas town. When I was 13 we moved to “the big city,” Colorado City. Colorado City, Mitchell County Texas had a population of 6,000. There were only two other towns that had a population of 300 each, and about 150 peopled lived out around Lake Colorado City that was the entire population of the county. So I never had much exposure to same sex attraction. There was one girl who was a couple of grades above me that I had a crush on. We remained friends for years even after I found out that she wasn’t a “tomboy” but was actually gay! My attitude about it as a 14 year old was “Wow, what a waste!” 3 days after I turned 17 I joined the U.S.M.C I did this mainly because I had dropped out of high school the year before and was dating the most beautiful girl in school. We were engaged to be married, I had no real future, so… she wasn’t so hot about the idea, but I wouldn’t listen.

In my experience there was no same sex attraction in the Marine Corps—it just didn’t exist. But, I was stationed at MCRD San Diego, CA for a while after boot camp. We would go to downtown San Diego where I discovered there was a population of transgender men, this was my first exposure, and I didn’t know what to think. I couldn’t believe it at first when my friends informed me that that woman I was talking to was a man! At that time I formulated a question that I have yet to have satisfactorily answered. Why, knowing, or at least having a reasonable expectation that a person is heterosexual, would another person try to trick someone into having a homosexual encounter? In my experience, most transsexual men have a same sex attraction to heterosexual men only, and are desirous of converting someone else. I have known many transsexual men who would brag about “turning-out” someone. To me this is wrong thinking.

Just over a year into my Marine Corps enlistment I received a “Dear John” letter from my girlfriend that I was completely unprepared for. We were going to be married. I allowed it to destroy my life. My self-destructive behavior landed me in Texan prison within 6 months or so. Remember this was 1976. My very first cellmate told me one evening that he was gay and wanted my advice about what he should do. The prison administration had made it clear that anyone who was homosexual was required to self-report or face severe “consequences.” Of course, at that time neither my cellmate nor I knew what “consequences” meant or what self-reporting would bring. My cellmate made the decision and informed security when we went out to eat chow, and that was the last time I ever saw him. I spent hours in the captain’s office that evening about whether or not anything had happened between my ex-cellmate and me. Their reaction was, I felt, a bit overboard.

I was assigned to the Ferguson unit, a large agricultural farm where I learned that to be confirmed as a homosexual meant to be segregated from the rest of the prison population. They were housed in single-man cells and worked only in the “garden” squad. (Performing manual agricultural work). They could never get a job in Laundry or food service or anywhere else. Being confirmed as a homosexual also meant being maltreated by the prison staff. 4th of July, 1976 we had a riot—well it wasn’t really a riot, but a protest—it occurred after rack-up so everyone was locked up in their cells. It was mostly starting fires on the cell block runs and making lots of noise. They came in and gassed us in our cells.

They had brought in extra officers from nearby units and they were anxious for a real confrontation, we found out the next day that they had pulled everyone out of “one-block”—that’s where all known homosexuals were housed and they were made to run a gauntlet of nightstick wielding officers down the length of the hall to the gym (about 50 yards) where they were gassed and re-ran through the gauntlet back to one-block. The blood in the hallway the next morning gave testimony. This was the culture at the time. If a person was caught in a homosexual act the administration would phone the inmates family to inform them. That’s how homophobic and petty they were. There was also an additional difference then. Being homosexual was much less socially acceptable in the inmate population. Beck then, 9 time out of 10, if a gay inmate had a “boy-friend,” the gay inmate was paying the boyfriend to be in a relationship with them. The exact opposite is true today.

In the late 70’s to early 80’s two court cases changed the Texas prison system completely—the Lamar decision brought race desegregation and the Ruiz decision collapsed the “building tender” system. Under the “building-tender” system the administration used inmates to help officers maintain order, though it had its abuses it was a much less dangerous, violent system than the one that replaced it. Violent prison gangs rose up to fill the power vacuum. They took over all drug trade, they also started a prostitution trade. Since all known homosexuals were segregated any “pretty boy” who would come into the system would be forced into submissive homosexual roles. Under the “building-tender” system this would not be tolerated. Anyone who came into the system would be “tested” (called out to fight) to see if they would physically defend themselves or not. It didn’t make any difference if you could fight or not, only if you would. If so, you were left alone. if not you would be pressured to pay protection or seek protection from the administration, which didn’t work very well. The administration would tell you to go back down there and fight, knowing that if you did you would be fine. When it came down to it they would offer protection. Not so under the gang system. They needed prostitutes a person was beat down and raped until they submitted. You may think I exaggerate, but I do not.

It took a while, but the prison system has made much progress in controlling the gang system. Any confirmed gang member is automatically placed into administrative segregation. Of course, this opens the question about the humanity of segregation. It is a fact that some cannot handle seg. And will become schizophrenic. But the alternative was an inhumane system, more recently the gang members have been more subdued, and operate underground-not supporting gang tattoos, etc.. Suspected gang members and associates are concentrated on a few units where they can be more easily monitored. They have more or less given up crimes against people—extortion, forced prostitution—and concentrated on drug sales, cell phones and such.

In a belated response to forced gang prostitution in the early 2000’s came the “Prison Rape Elimination Act” (PREA). It is multifaceted and included peer to peer education. It has been successful but it comes with its own abuses and chaos. Inmates will use the PREA to get moved not away from an abusive situation but toward being together with their desired partner. Which in turn causes another inmate to be moved who may not want to be moved. This is very common. Also, the PREA has been weaponized against prison staff. Under PREA any complaint, whether substantiated or not, of sexual assault or sexual harassment against staff must be recorded in the staff members permanent personnel file. If an officer has multiple complaints of sexual harassment in their file they will never be promoted. So, with all that said, I will work through the list of questions expounding when necessary.

I have personally witnessed sexual activity, of course, I am more likely to than someone in general population, the housing section that I I’ve on has 24 two man cells. At this time we have 12 open bunks, which is unusual, often when the population is allowed to drop like this there will soon be a mass movement, usually shipped in from other units. This unit is designated HIV, hep-c treatment unit, but I digress. Of the 36 inmates here, as far as I know, it breaks down like this: 1 are transsexuals, (at least to some degree, some transsexual from the world with breast implants, some now on hormone treatment here, all refer to themselves with feminine names and pronouns). 7 are or have been in relationships and portray themselves as being in male roles only; 7 are openly gay; 5 are not nor have been involved in same sex relationships; and 5 I do not know for sure. So, as I stated, the chances are that I will witness sexual activity. Usually it does not offend me. If I walk up to a cell and there they are, well, I shouldn’t have walked up and looked in—same with the showers. But, if there is a couple masturbating each other on the TV benches while everyone is trying to watch TV that is disrespectful, and is likely to cause a confrontation. Open displays of affection do not bother me, but public genital exposure does. Likewise, many times inmates will openly masturbate in the medical holding area while watching a female staff officer without the officer’s knowledge. This also often causes confrontations.

Because of the PREA involuntary sex and rape are now rare. Coercive sex is much more of a gray area. It’s much harder to detect and control. There are those in here that have no outside support. Much more so now than back in the 70’s. I attribute this mainly to the crack cocaine epidemic where people have screwed their families over so much they have been disowned. I see this a lot in here. Out of the 36 inmates on my housing section, 9 of them do not go to the prison store at all. Of those, I know that 3 were not gay in the world, but are or have been in relationships in order to be supported financially. I also know of others in different sections who do the same, but I am using the housing section I live on as an example. (There are 9-48-man sections on this 2,500 man unit that are “safe-keeping” so, you may extrapolate the numbers from that).

There is another area of coercive sexual relationships that is a bit more nefarious. This involves the mentally or emotionally ill falling prey to gay predators through enticement. Sometime in the mid 80’s or so, mental institutions in Texas were defunded. And it didn’t take long for ousted mental patients to start showing up in Texas prisons. This is still a problem as there has been no resurgence of mental health funding. This type of coercion occurs frequently.

Complaints about sexual assault to the administration do result in confinement of the victim to temporarily protect custody status. This is not done as a punishment. When a complaint s made to staff an Offender Protection Investigation (OPI) must be initiated. The complainant/victim has to be removed from the potential dangerous situation, i.e. taken into protective custody until an investigation can be completed and then a unit classification committee (UCC) is convinced. A lieutenant of security or higher must complete the OPI paper work which will include victim and or witness statements, medical examination, etc. If evidence of a crime exists a referral to the office of Inspector General may be made. After the investigation is complete, the inmate must go before UCC, which consists of a major of security or higher, a lieutenant or higher and a representative from unit classification. UCC has a wide range of actions that they are able to take.

I have seen one person that was reassigned to protective custody (administrative segregation) this was after this inmate had filed many OPIs—every couple of weeks—anyone he got mad at—every officer he got into an argument with etc,.. As far as being labeled a “snitch” this is no longer a viable lie that can be maintained by the prison gang mentality. That is, that you are not to speak to staff regardless of the situation. If it deals with your own health or safety it won’t come with a “snitch” jacket.

Most sex is voluntary and consensual. Of course, there is always a lot of jealousy and drama over relationships. Finding privacy can be a problem. Many use the showers, while others will go “out of place” into their partner’s cell, but this does involve logistics problems and risk of being caught.

The complaints about homosexual activity is much more prevalent in the general population. At the risk of being politically anti-homosexual. Inmates who are caught in sexual situations are subject to disciplinary action, with a wide range of punishment depending on past disciplinary record etc. inmates who are caught in sexual situations that are HIV positive, or have some other sexually communicable disease are subjects to administrative segregation as being a danger to the rest of inmate population.

It would be very unusual for an offer to violate a prisoner in a sexual way. There are gay officers, but I’ve never witnessed or heard of an actual sexual assault by an officer.

I believe that allowing voluntary sex in prison would create many more problems. First, and once again at the risk of political incorrectness, transsexuals and gay men are typically promiscuous. I know, this sounds horribly stereotypical, but if nothing else, I am a realist. And when you witness the same thing over and over and over again its crazy to expect a different result. It’s nice to be pleasantly surprised, but…

Now, with this in mind and considering that the ratio pf gay men to straight in general population is much less than on safekeeping, I can envision the jealousy and drama x 100! Second, and again considering the lower rate of gay men in population, once again there would be pressure to “turnout” straight “pretty boys” entering the system. As it is, there are those from population who try and sometimes succeed in being reclassified to safekeeping in order to find themselves a “punk”. The otherwise completely straight (in civilian life) almost always look for younger feminine types.

I do not believe my attitude about homosexuality has changed, I I was never intolerant of it, I just never understood same sex attraction.

I can say that a LGBT identified person who came into prison in the 70’s was going to be victimized, while today they are much more accepted and protected by other prisoners. As a matter of fact, it is taboo for an inmate who identifies as a man to strike an inmate who identifies as a “girl”.

I hope this has been helpful. If you need any clarification on any point, or have any follow-up questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.