Prison Porn Ban Sparks Inmate Protests

Porn and prison don't quite go hand in hand.

At least that's how the Connecticut Department of Correction feels, as they announced a ban on pornography beginning next summer. The department announced in July that prisoners had one year to dispose of pornographic materials containing "pictorial depictions of sexual activity or nudity," giving them enough time for magazine subscriptions to expire.

However, it seems many inmates disagree with the decision and have begun a letter-writing campaign that urging officials to reconsider the decision. According to the Associated Press, prior to the ban, inmates were allowed pornographic material excluding content that depicted children, bestiality, sadomasochism or the use of force.

The AP reports that inmates have sent close to three dozen letters to officials. Some letters have offered alternative solutions such as providing "cable programming that offers and displays nudity, also sexual activity."

The initial ban was intended to improve the work conditions for prison guards, especially female members, not forcing them to be exposed to the questionable material on a daily basis. According to the Daily News, prison officials also acknowledge that the ban is intended for the prisoners' own good, a point some disagree with (as you can see in the video below).

While many of the prisoners writing in are citing their First Amendment rights, it seems unlikely they will have much of a case legally. The Daily News explains that in the past, courts have sided with the prisons.

Connecticut however, isn't the only state to ban porn in jail. In July a Michigan man actually sued the state after guards denied his request for pornographic materials, claiming he was subjected to a "poor standard of living" and "sexual and sensory deprivation."

WATCH (The Young Turks' Breakdown):

Comments

[Cody29]

10:35 AM on 10/22/2011

Porn in prison? Can doing time get any easier for crimminals? Prison is punishmet not a time to lay around jacking to porn.Poor poor crimminals can't have sex for 8 to 10. To bad!

[Mikhail Kalashnikov]

06:59 PM on 10/20/2011

The Media are such Lairs claiming they Allow CHILD Porn "Prior to the Ban". This is what LIES they claimed "According to the Associated Press, prior to the ban, inmates were allowed pornographic material excluding content that depicted children".. SO the State of Connecticut Corrections allows Child Porn is LIES!! Then they try to claim its for the sake of the "Female Guards"- another LIE! They shouldn't even be working in a men prison anyways and TOUGH if they hate the porn there!
This is the Governments Way of Encouraging Homosexuality and its SICK ! Let these men be Men or Send them Home! The Porn ban will lead to Perverts looking at CHILD Magazines or Kids Underwear section in the newspapers. I see this Ban on Legal Heterosexuality Media will lead to things FAR worse as it always had and always will! Just goes to show the state this country is in.

[John Katon]

03:35 PM on 10/18/2011

the mentality of some of the posters here says it all, I got a LOL badge thrown at me when I talked about a terrifying experience as a child. People are sent to prison as a punishment in the hope that they will reform, unfortunately it never succeeds. Put like with like and you get the same at the end.

[John Katon]

03:22 AM on 10/17/2011

I was seven years old when i was sexually assaulted by 4 older males and that "person" keeps saying its not a sexual act!!!!! its violent sexual and horrifying!!!!!! i couldn't tell my parents or anyone until i was older.

[John Katon]

03:56 PM on 10/18/2011

which ever burke gave me a LOL for that true statement I hope the rot in H

[PotholesInMyLawn]

10:42 PM on 10/15/2011

A better approach would be to make prisons a place of reform where everyone has a chance to return to normal society or some form of it. A true second chance. In todays world prisons are just human warehouses of despair and depression for both the inmates and the employees. It's nothing more than a money making enterprise full of law enforcement misconduct.

Its funny how many people say its ok to deny inmates something as simple as masturbation material. It's as if we on the outside have lost all compassion for those that have made bad decisions.

Prison has become such a industrial complex that reforms are needed... not more
restrictions on something as simple as this.

If females don't like seeing what they see at a male prison... they need to leave. They are now in the home of these people. These places are home for these people. For some its where they will spend most of their life. So its the inmates who's needs should come first.

Yes the inmates are there by choice. These men made some bad choices and now they are on the inside.

Women should only work at female locations and males should only work at male prisons... problem solved.

[whalepeace]

12:03 AM on 10/16/2011

So you are advocating sex discrimination against women and for giving porn to men who have been convicted of rape, assault, rape of a child, child molestation and domestic violence.

Convicted felons do not have any legal, civil or constitutional right to view pornographic material.

[PotholesInMyLawn]

09:59 AM on 10/16/2011

Hi Wale.

No not advocating anything like that. In your effort to make your point you listed sexual crimes as if that's the only reason people are in jail. You do know that both men and women are locked up and that most of their crimes are non-violent right?

It's not about why they are on the inside. The fact is that they are on the inside and by all reports it is hellish and not a place of reform with the goal of returning these people back to free society.

This opinion is not about discrimination. Of course there is no right to do x y z as an inmate. But there should be some expectation of humane treatment.

Taking away videos and reading material for someone that is in for lots of years is inhumane. Congressional sentencing guidelines are inhumane.

Couple that with the fact that most prisons don't allow inmates any sexual contact with each other or people from the outside. Creates an inhuman situation.

We have separate public bathrooms. Is that sex discrimination? Male guards only at male prisons.. females guards only in female prisons. Admin and protection services can be mixed gender. That's not discrimination, that's just smart.

[Cody29]

10:37 AM on 10/22/2011

Do men really need porn to jack off? I agree that women need not work at male prisons.It is an unnecessary risk factor.

[PotholesInMyLawn]

08:07 PM on 10/22/2011

Well no one needs to chop wood. But they do. It just a simple thing.

http://www.prisontalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=432958

[rcraincrow]

08:50 PM on 10/14/2011

The problem of taking away porn from prisoners is it keeps them from looking at female staff as much and also keeps them from going to each other for sex. As for female officers porn is the least of their problems compared to what they will see on a regular bases when they work in a male prison. Taking porn away is not a solution to a problem, but it will become the problem.

[whalepeace]

12:07 AM on 10/16/2011

Actually, the porn is a problem. Research shows that the more porn a man uses, the more he objectifies women and trivializes violence against women. Porn also maintains a system of patriarchy, violence against women and male supremacy. Porn has a negative effect on how normal men view and treat women, it has an even worse effect on the kinds of psychopaths and sociopaths one finds in state penitentiaries.

Men managed to masturbate long before there were porn videos, long before there was Playboy magazine, long before porn saturated the society.

[rcraincrow]

02:35 PM on 10/16/2011

Speaking of the outside is one story with its own morals and meanings, but speaking of life behind the wire (state penitentiaries) which is what old hats (long timers) call it. On the inside is another world, morals, law, life and what applies on the outside has a different meaning behind the wire. Anything that distracted a inmate (short timer) or a convict (old hat) is a good thing such as TV, knitting, model building etc. keeps them busy, and busy is a good thing and porn is not a weapon it is a distraction and any distraction is good. For the most part even hard core convicts are people too, I speaking from years of working in the open units with all manner of evil, good and some who have improved their live while doing time.

[Carla Rae H]

08:18 PM on 10/14/2011

What part of 'prison' do they not understand?

[oberlinkay91]

08:09 PM on 10/14/2011

You go to prison for punishment. Do you really think that they deserve to have porn? Don't gp to jail and you won't have any problems.

[brokenleoheart]

02:39 PM on 10/14/2011

i guess prison is suppose to punish people, but common it's human nature. law is manmade and you just cant ban against human nature. they've gotta release themselves somehow

[Nieschk]

01:40 PM on 10/14/2011

Gotta agree with the ban on this one. While I believe there needs to be some liberties in order to keep a calm prison facility, allowing porn show not be one of them. It seems that they did give up that right when committed the crime that got them there. I do not believe in treating them like animals but they do not deserve the same privileges as those not in prison.

[cheechazteca]

12:11 AM on 10/14/2011

cut off their balls....problem solved!

[BornOKtheFirstTime]

04:45 PM on 10/13/2011

I agree with the ban. That way they'll have more time and energy to act out their own gay porn scenes. Never too much gay sex--it sure beats reading the bible. Just keep it safe, guys.

[Susan Shaffer]

03:54 PM on 10/13/2011

They should follow the lead from "Something about Mary" and ask for the prison to supply them with K-Mart Catalogues.

[jeffhintx]

11:51 AM on 10/13/2011

Excluding violent genres and other distasteful and even illegal material, I would say that middle of the road stuff is actually a helpful way to relieve stress and the obvious pent up aggression and frustration which is probably a natural part of the incarceration process.

I might be wrong on this but my guess is that if you take away yet another of what has to be few outlets for inmates, the pressure will simply grow in other directions, most which are probably not conducive to a peaceful environment.

I understand and sympathize with the female guards however they might wish to take the above into consideration and understand that they are indeed working in a very male oriented situation, one which consists of males under duress.

So, this is a pragmatic view of the issue...I get why it might be unpleasant for female guards but I believe it is a fact that taking away the porn will result in increased inmate violence and mental illness.

[bmona2]

04:37 PM on 10/13/2011

Mental illness?

[cheechazteca]

12:15 AM on 10/14/2011

Probably going mad from not enough spanking!

[LivelyLexie]

11:24 AM on 10/13/2011

TOO bad, prisoners need to get over it. Don't end up in jail and it won't be a problem.