Sex in Prison
Sex is a basic need that all human beings require for a psychological, emotional, as well
as physical wellbeing. People who are incarcerated lack access to this basic need. It is no surprise
then that most of them engage in same sex relationships to fill the gap. The ethical question of
such sexual relations is complex. Inmates who engage in a sexual relationship with mutual
consent should not be judged. This same precept justifies homosexual relations out of prison. It
would be wrong to apply the principle outside but forbid it in prison. The same warmth,
friendship, and companion that partners desire in society are the same that prisoners’ desire.
When two consenting adults decide to get into a sexually beneficial relationship, the ethics of
their relationship cannot be questioned.
However, sex in prison is often times used for other means other than human sexual
satisfaction. In male prisons, for instance, sex is used as a tool of establishing male authority
over others as well as a tool of violence. In such instances, sex in prison is unethical and brutal in
which case those who engage in it cannot be forgiven. But the bid to control this kind of sex
must be exercised with caution to ensure it does not trespass the prisoners’ ability to be in charge
of their emotions and physical desires. In a nutshell, every human being should be able to have
emotionally beneficial relationship without being judged or denied the right to do so.