NCJ Number
238772
Journal
American Journal of Criminal Justice Dated: February 2012
Date Published
January 2012
Length
14 pages
Annotation
The authors of this study examined whether conjugal visitation attenuates sexual violence in prison.
Abstract
Using yearly State-level data drawn from a variety of different sources and a pooled cross-sectional time-series research design, the authors examine whether conjugal visitation attenuates sexual violence in prison. The determination of whether sexual violence in prison is less apt to transpire in States that allow conjugal visitation is theoretically relevant. Feminist theory argues that conjugal visitation has little if any influence on the occurrence of rape and other sexual offenses in prison, notwithstanding the gender of the offender and victim, because such offenses are crimes of power that are employed by the offender as an instrument to dominate and humiliate the victim. On the other hand, sexual gratification theory postulates that conjugal visitation provides inmates with a means of sexual release. Therefore, conjugal visitation should reduce sexual offending in prison. Results support sexual gratification theory by showing that States permitting conjugal visitation have significantly fewer instances of reported rape and other sexual offenses in their prisons. The policy implications of these findings are discussed. (Published Abstract)