ABSTRACT
This chapter builds on the discussion of reproductive injustice in carceral settings presented in Chapter 4 to demonstrate how sex-negative policies and practices embedded within carceral institutions impact those who are incarcerated—and, to a lesser extent, correctional staff, who are expected to surveil inmates and enforce sex-negative policies—and their potential long-term effects. We first detail efforts to combat sexual abuse in carceral institutions in the United States since the 2003 passage of the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA). We explore debates associated with inmates’ consensual sexuality and intimate relations (even with oneself in the form of masturbation), such as whether they should be allowable or are even possible. We address patterns of consensual sex as well as patterns of non-consensual sex and sexual abuse and examine issues of import for LGBTQ youth and adults in carceral facilities. We conclude with a look at alternatives to the ban on consensual sexual activity in prison settings, with specific policy recommendations addressing various forms of sexual self-expression including masturbation, private family visits, and access to safer sex.
