BETTER SEX LIFE FOR FEMALE PRISONERS?

As reported by The Australian late last week, an Aussie study has revealed that more than a third of female prisoners have sexual encounters behind bars.

    The nation’s first telephone survey of inmates reveals high rates of sexual acts in female prisons and, quite unexpectedly, low rates in male institutions.

    “We found that 36 per cent of women are having sex or sexual contact in female prisons, which really is quite a lot of sex,” said researcher Juliet Richters. She suggested that this was most likely because there were fewer taboos around sex among women, and also because almost a third of female prisoners identify themselves as lesbian or bisexual.

    But the picture among men is “very different”, with just six per cent of more than 1000 NSW men interviewed saying they had had sexual contact in jail, with five per cent of it deemed consensual. Most said they did it for pleasure, with less than one per cent trading sex for food or tobacco.

    “We found most men strongly disapproved of sex in prison and considered those who did it to be gay,” Richters said. “There’s not a lot of sex because they’re so concerned to protect their reputation as a heterosexual that they’re really careful to avoid anything like that.”

    Interestingly, 30 per cent of men said before coming to jail they had feared sexual assault behind bars, but in reality it was very rare. “We’ve shown that the whole belief that young and attractive people are likely to be raped in jail is a bit of a myth,” Richters continued. “It’s pretty safe these days, especially with the modern prisons with things like showers in cells.”

    The study also indicated that about 80 per cent smoke and more than half had injected drugs in their lifetime. Apparently, half the men believed abortion was always wrong, and 23 per cent thought sex between women was unnatural.

    Whoever thought inmates would be such moralists? I suppose it’s okay to hold up a bank at gun point, but for heaven’s sake, abortion is wrong!

ROCK ’N’ ROLL HIT

Those of you who read this column regularly would know that I grew up in Adelaide and, unfortunately for the old girl, she sometimes falls victim to my penchant for caustic barbs – you know, jokes about tumbleweeds floating down the city streets after 10pm, and not being able to see the tallest building from a distance because the view is encumbered by trees. Anyway, I don’t really mean it and my sarcasm comes from love!

    I went to see Highway Rock ’n’ Roll Disaster last Thursday night, and it’s an absolute cracker. From independent Adelaide theatre ensemble The Border Project, and the fourth production of Sydney Theatre Company’s 2008 Wharf 2LOUD season, it explores the memories and feelings rock and pop music reignite in people’s lives. Like a collection of music videos performed live, the show features nine ‘tracks’ forming a sort of theatrical concept album blending vivid imagery, personal memory and hardcore rock.

    All I can say is: Go Adelaide! I was smiling through the whole show with hometown pride – it was so good to see a really cool group of Adelaidians impressing a Sydney opening-night crowd with their irreverent but inspired approach to theatre. Like Tommy Murphy mused to me, theatre needn’t be life as it is – it’s so fun and beautiful to show life as it seems.

    It’s only on for three more nights, so please see it if you can. You won’t be disappointed. Call the STC box office on 9250 1777 or online at sydneytheatre.com.au.

NOT JUST A PRETTY FACE

Brad Pitt, the liberal lion of Hollywood, has donated a cool $100,000 to fight Proposition 8, a constitutional amendment that, if passed, would outlaw same-sex marriage in California.

"No one has the right to deny another their life, even though they disagree with it, because everyone has the right to live the life they so desire if it doesn't harm another, and because discrimination has no place in America, my vote will be for equality and against Proposition 8," Pitt said.

Ah Brad – looks AND brains.

Garrett Bithell

Email me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed

Title
Comment	smaller | bigger
Name
Email
Website
Write the displayed characters
Subscribe via email (Registered users only) I have read and agree to the Terms of Usage.
	Add Comment