Bisexual Prisoners

Attitudes toward Bisexuals in Prison

Much like the outside society, attitudes toward bisexuals in prison are typically unfavorable. One recent study has shown that male inmates tend to be more homophobic than women and that black inmates are more tolerant toward homosexuality than whites. Some facilities may segregate the more effeminate male homosexuals from the general population for their own protection or to discourage sexual behavior. This is because homosexual inmates have been found to be at greater risk of sexual victimization than heterosexual inmates. Due to actual or perceived potential victimization, some homosexual and bisexual prisoners may request protective custody to avoid harassment or assault from other inmates.

Methodological Problems

Numerous methodological challenges arise when studying sexuality among prisoners. Using a narrow, essentialist definition of bisexuality may not capture the full scope of sexual identity. Likewise, focusing on sexual behavior alone may not reveal desires that are unrequited. Gauging sexual behavior among inmates requires self-report or observational data. Yet observational data may be problematic since observations alone cannot reveal the sexual orientation of the participant, but only their behavior. In addition, it may be difficult to distinguish between consensual or coerced sex. Researchers have found that when interviewed, correctional officers claim they cannot always differentiate between consensual and nonconsensual sex because extortion techniques employed by inmates may not be immediately apparent. For example, an inmate may “willingly” engage in sexual activity as a means of survival or protection from other inmates, with such behavior appearing to the correctional officer as a consensual act.

Self-report measures also have some problems. Due to the stigmatizing nature of homosexuality and bisexuality, many people will underreport their sexual orientation or desire. Inmates may be reluctant to admit engaging in sexual activity for various reasons such as embarrassment or fear of being taken advantage of by other inmates. In attempting to gauge sexual orientation, more comprehensive studies have addressed sexual behavior prior to incarceration as well as behavior engaged in while incarcerated.

Bisexuality among Male Inmates

Due to the difficulty in defining homosexuality and bisexuality, the estimated number of homosexual and/or bisexual prisoners varies. Estimates of the number of male bisexual prisoners range from 11% to 15% while the proportion of male homosexual prisoners is thought to fall somewhere between 6% and 10%. Perhaps most confoundingly of all, the overall percentage of male inmates in medium-security facilities reported to engage in consensual homosexual activity in prison ranges from 2% to 65%. While in one study, only 2% reported engaging in same-sex behavior themselves, the vast majority of inmates indicated that it is their perception that consensual sex occurs every day.

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