Abstract
The incidence of homosexual behavior among 376 female inmates in a southern state women's prison was explored, with homosexual behavior being viewed as a normal reaction to a situation where isolation from the opposite sex occurs. The method of determining membership in the homosexual (Group I) and the non-homosexual (Group II) groups was survey with 52% of the prison population being assigned to Group I and 48% to Group II. Comparison of the groups showed: (a) no significant difference in racial distribution, length of sentence, or IQ, (b) Group I had a higher percentage of recidivists than Group II, (c) Group I was 9.5 yr. younger than Group II (p = .01), (d) Group I mean grade level attained was 1.23 yr. higher than Group II (p = .01), and (e) there was a higher percentage of single women and fewer widows in Group I.
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