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Date: April 30, 2024 Tue
Time: 12:46 am
Time: 12:46 am
Results for consensual sexual activity
2 results foundAuthor: Commission on Sex in Prison (U.K.) Title: Sex in Prison: Experiences of former prisoners Summary: In England and Wales, there has been minimal research into consensual and coercive sex in prison. In order to begin to address this knowledge gap, the Howard League for Penal Reform established an independent Commission on Sex in Prison, comprising eminent academics, former and serving prison governors, lawyers, former prisoners and health experts. Over two years, the Commission received written and oral evidence from voluntary and statutory agencies, prison staff, and serving and former prisoners on all aspects of sexual activity in prison and the healthy sexual development of children. Previous briefing papers have documented this evidence. This final briefing paper reports findings from interviews conducted with 26 former prisoners during the summer of 2014. Former prisoners no longer under the supervision of the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) were invited to contact the Commission's academic consultant if they would be interested in being interviewed about 'their knowledge about or personal experience of sexual activity in prison' or 'if your experience is that sex between prisoners or with staff does not happen in prison.' People who contacted the researcher were motivated to discuss their own experiences and/or their knowledge of sexual activity among other prisoners; often with the stated intention of raising awareness of the reality of sex in prison and the health implications for those participating in unsafe sex and their sexual partners. Research aims To supplement the evidence gathered by the Commission on Sex in Prison, the aim of the primary research was to learn from former prisoners about their perspectives, experiences, and knowledge of consensual or non-consensual sexual activity and sexuality in prisons in England and Wales. Key findings - Nearly all interviewees managed their sexual needs in prison either wholly or partially through masturbation - Eight male interviewees, seven of whom described their sexuality as either gay or bisexual, had had consensual sex with other male prisoners. While these seven interviewees had been open about their sexuality in prison, they conducted their sexual activities and relationships discreetly - Some men who self-identified as heterosexual participated in same-sex activity but did not acknowledge this. Heterosexual men who engage in sexual activity with men 'out of necessity' do not perceive that this affects or alters their sexual identity - The availability of condoms varied considerably between prisons - Interviewees perceived that prison officers were sometimes aware of sexual activity but exercised their discretion not to intervene - Most interviewees thought that coercive sex rarely occurs in British prisons. Three male interviewees disclosed they had been raped in prison by other prisoners, and none of these rapes were officially reported. Rape in prison is certain to be significantly under reported - Some male prisoners had been known to trade sex in return for drugs, tobacco, food, or other valuable commodities. Recommendations - Coherently formulated and consistently applied policies, which recognize and respond to the reality of consensual and coercive sex in prison, are urgently needed. These must be set within a clear and concise ethical and operational framework which prioritises the protection of prisoners vulnerable to coerced sexual activity or unsafe sexual practice, and results in instructions to staff which are practical and enforceable - Prisoners should receive equivalent healthcare services to those available in the community and NOMS should ensure that prisoners have easy and confidential access to condoms and other forms of protection against sexually transmitted infections (STIs) - Prison staff need training and clear guidance on how to respond appropriately to consensual sexual activity and how to pro-actively prevent, detect, and respond to allegations and incidents of sexual assault - To understand better the extent of the scale of consensual and coercive sex in prison, and the issues arising from sexual activity in prison, a national, statistically representative survey of both the serving prison population and of former prisoners, eliciting quantitative and qualitative data, and fully supported by but independent of NOMS, is urgently required. Details: London: Howard League for Penal Reform, 2015. 24p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 19, 2015 at: https://d19ylpo4aovc7m.cloudfront.net/fileadmin/howard_league/user/pdf/Publications/Sex_in_prison_web.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://d19ylpo4aovc7m.cloudfront.net/fileadmin/howard_league/user/pdf/Publications/Sex_in_prison_web.pdf Shelf Number: 134970 Keywords: Consensual Sexual ActivityInmate Sexual AssaultPrison RapeSex in Prison (U.K.) |
Author: Commission on Sex in Prison (U.K.) Title: Consensual sex among men in prison Summary: Key points - There is evidence to show that sex in prison does happen - There is no prison rule prohibiting sex between prisoners but prison staff do not allow prisoners to have sex - It is difficult, if not impossible, for prison staff to be able to distinguish between consensual and coercive sexual relationships between prisoners - Prisons need to ensure that they protect the vulnerable - Prisoners should be able to access condoms confidentially to minimise the risk of sexually transmitted infections - Prisons have a duty under the Equalities Act 2010 not to discriminate against anyone because of their sexuality. Policies to prevent sex in prison can be perceived by some as discriminatory towards openly gay prisoners - The prison population is a high-risk group for sexually transmitted infections and risk-taking sexual behaviour. The need for harm reduction measures in prisons is widely recognised but they are poorly delivered - Prison staff need training on how to deal with sex between prisoners - Most prisoners will return to the community. Sexual health policies are important not just for prisoners but for wider society. Details: London: Howard League for Penal Reform, 2013. 6p. Source: Internet Resource: Briefing paper 1: Accessed March 26, at: http://www.commissiononsexinprison.org/fileadmin/howard_league/user/pdf/Commission_on_Sex_in_Prison/sex_commission_final.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.commissiononsexinprison.org/fileadmin/howard_league/user/pdf/Commission_on_Sex_in_Prison/sex_commission_final.pdf Shelf Number: 135069 Keywords: Consensual Sexual ActivityPrison HealthPrisonersSex in Prison (U.K.) |