"Make-Believe" Families 319Some researchers suggest that these prison families may not be as common as they
used to be and may serve a purpose for only some women. MacKenzie ct al. (1989)
conducted a study and found that many women newly admitted to prison were
involved in play families. However, those who had been in prison for a great deal of
time did not partake in this phenomenon. The researchers suggested that these play
families may assist inmates in adjusting to prison life, but then once acclimated, this
need for safety and security disappears. Pollock-Byrne (1990) discussed something
similar. She stated that when an inmate approaches her release date or when she
maintains close ties to her real family, then the need for a pseudofamily is not as
strong as for those inmates who are alone and have no outside connections. Kelly
is an example of this latter type of inmate. Without those outside relationships,
the prison families become real families. Pollock-Byrne also suggested that with
increased efforts at family programming and community support, female inmates
are able to preserve their outside connections, which therefore decreases the need
for a prison family.
In a recent study conducted by Ansay (as cited in Silverman & Vega, 1996), it was
found that the most common group in prison was more like a gang than a family.
Approximately 6 to 12 inmates who were serving long sentences comprised these
gang groups and had labels such as "associates" and "cousins," thus providing more
support for the notion that prison families may not be as common as they once were.
Genders and Player (1990) questioned prison staff about these inmate families,
and their responses appeared to concur with what inmates reported. They suggested
that relationships were more about finding affection and emotional support than
they were about engaging in sexual behaviors. The staff reported that many women
engaged in lesbian behaviors at some time during their imprisonment. In fact, the
staff indicated that this was an eventual phase for women serving long terms in
prison; however, these women were not thought to be lesbians when not impris-
oned. Prison administrators have indicated that they believe that fewer than 5% of
female inmates have engaged in lesbian relationships outside of prison (Watterson,
1996).
Prison staff also reported that problems with these families can occur when a
couple breaks up because jealous feelings and even suicidal thoughts can erupt
(Genders & Player, 1990). Watterson (1996) indicated that problems occur when a
female inmate "drops her belt" (p. 294). This is when the woman reverts back to
her female role after playing a male role. It creates problems because there are not
enough female inmates who want to play the male role. The woman is then seen
as a phony and this is threatening to other inmates.
Despite the difficulties prison families can create, it appears as though they do
offer something for which these women are searching. As one inmate stated, "...
inside this place, when I do something with a girl, usually I feel like someone's com-
forting me and just making me feel good. It's not really a sex thing, even when it's
sex, because in here you feel so damn little and alone ..." (Watterson, 1996, p. 285).