Caging Sexuality: Sexual Identity as a Predictor of Placement in Solitary Confinement in US Prisons and Jails

Abstract

This Senior Thesis employs a historical and quantitative analysis to determine the relationship between sexual identity and the solitary confinement of adult inmates in prisons and jails in the United States. The first half of the thesis traces the evolution of solitary confinement from the nineteenth century model of rehabilitation through isolation to the rise of systems of control seen in modern supermax facilities and addresses the fear and biased perceptions that contributed to the criminalization of sexual minorities. The second half analyzed responses to the 2011-2012 National Inmate Survey and found that, even when controlling for a variety of demographic and institutional variables, sexual identity strongly predicts placement in solitary confinement. Furthermore, the data analysis showed how certain intersectional identities increase the chances of an inmate reporting placement in solitary confinement. For example, it found that sexual minority inmates who are also Hispanic or Black, transgender, female, have received previous mental health treatment, or have been at their facility for more than ten years are significantly more likely to have spent time in solitary confinement than heterosexual inmates from those groups. Furthermore, it showed that inmates who report having had consensual sex in prison are more likely to have spent time in solitary confinement than those who didn’t, regardless of sexual orientation. Finally, the thesis presents steps forward for future researchers and policy-makers in this field.