ABSTRACT
SUMMARY. The increase in prison populations in America has given rise to a completely new set of societal expectations and impressions of the penal system. Modem women especially suffer from abject stereotyping and media portrayal of the tough, remorseless, manipulative lesbian femme fatale. In reality, many of the women being forced to wear this label are mothers, non-violent offenders and victims of abuse. Once incarcerated, these women turn to each other for support and companionship, often through lesbian relationships. This creates not the angry, violent lesbian relationships of prime time television, but more complex and intricate relationships based on learned behavior and social attitudes developed long before the women were ever arrested. This essay explores the myriad lesbian relationships in prison, the differences between inside and outside gay love, and implications for counseling gay inmates or ex-inmates dealing with issues relating to their sexuality. [Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-342-9678. E-mail address: getinfo@haworth.com]
