Also, because of the unavailability of members of the opposite sex, homosexuality is rampant in men’s prisons, as is lesbianism in women’s prisons. Mass homosexual rapes are common. In the book I Chose Prison, a former federal prison official says of this matter: “No one has come up with an answer to the problem.”

In Canada, the Windsor Star reports that after an investigation into the problem twenty-three judges were “appalled” at what they found. The paper stated: “Former inmates have reported to official commissions that it is almost impossible for a young man to escape sexual assault for any length of time in most jails across the country. ‘It happens all the time,’ says John Tennant, who has spent 13 years behind bars. ‘I’ve seen young guys attacked by three or four inmates night after night.’”

For women, prison life can also be demoralizing. The limiting of movement, the petty details of prison life, the strict regulating of schedule, the infrequent contact with loved ones, the threat of sexual immorality, all are extremely depressing.

Regarding children sent to detention centers by family courts, the New York Times of July 27, 1971, reported: “At the detention center he is incarcerated with children who have committed homicides, robberies, assaults and other crimes. Homosexuality is prevalent. In the attempt to resolve one problem, the court has placed him in a situation which can only lead to more problems.”