# Why don't federal prisons have conjugal visits **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 23, 2013, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-federal-prisons-have-conjugal-visits/661735 "2013-06-23T22:54:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2013, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-federal-prisons-have-conjugal-visits/661735/41 "2013-06-26T02:04:29Z")
Could I get a frozen yogurt machine in the room with me for my conjugal visit? 'Cause that’d be _sweet_! ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2013, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-federal-prisons-have-conjugal-visits/661735/42 "2013-06-26T02:48:49Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Could I get a frozen yogurt machine in the room with me for my conjugal visit? How about prisoners in a committed relationship with soft-serve ice cream machines? Why should they be left out in the cold? ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2013, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-federal-prisons-have-conjugal-visits/661735/43 "2013-06-26T03:57:08Z")
Yeah! And what about misanthropic loners who just want to open a taco stand? ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2013, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-federal-prisons-have-conjugal-visits/661735/44 "2013-06-27T01:04:21Z")
> [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > Oh, for Pete’s sake, stop with the hijack. Sometimes, I swear, Dopers are more interested in beating others into conformity with their beliefs than discussing the topic. It’s not a hijack when the OP if the OP himself specifically brought it up. It has nothing to do with “beating others into conformity with their beliefs” :rolleyes:. I’d simply like to know why the OP mentioned it. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2013, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-federal-prisons-have-conjugal-visits/661735/45 "2013-06-27T09:39:07Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Could I get a frozen yogurt machine in the room with me for my conjugal visit? 'Cause that’d be _sweet_! You are a judge. Simply create the paperwork and have it filed away for a rainy…errr…wet…conjugal day. ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2013, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-federal-prisons-have-conjugal-visits/661735/46 "2013-06-27T16:00:23Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > It’s not a hijack when the OP if the OP himself specifically brought it up. It has nothing to do with “beating others into conformity with their beliefs” :rolleyes:. I’d simply like to know why the OP mentioned it. Maybe he mentioned it because discouraging homosexuality between people who are not homosexual might just be a good thing. Prison isn’t a dating service and horny prisoners are going to take what they can get. What that does to their self image or their personal relationship with people on the outside may just be significant. It would be nice if they could manage to stay celibate or shrug off their in prison homosexuality as just a product of their situation but felons aren’t necessarily known for having a healthy self worth in the first place or for possibly being tolerant of different lifestyles. So the hetero convict that gives in to urges and has a homosexual encounter may just take it out on himself or others during his confinement and after release. I’m not advocating conjugal visits as much as just trying to explain to you why I think he said what he did. My hope is that you would quit insinuating his statement was gay bashing and understand it was just an acknowledgment that there are desperate heterosexuals in prison who have homosexual relations. And those relations just might hinder their rehabilitation. ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2013, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-federal-prisons-have-conjugal-visits/661735/47 "2013-06-27T16:40:02Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Could I get a frozen yogurt machine in the room with me for my conjugal visit? 'Cause that’d be _sweet_! Oh, for Pete’s sake, stop with the hijack. Sometimes, I swear, Dopers are more interested in beating others into conformity with their beliefs than discussing the topic. ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2013, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-federal-prisons-have-conjugal-visits/661735/48 "2013-06-27T17:29:24Z")
Let them eat yogurt, I say. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2013, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-federal-prisons-have-conjugal-visits/661735/49 "2013-06-27T18:56:51Z")
> [@moriah](#): > > You can’t coddle them without conjugal visits! How about if just their eggs are coddled? ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2013, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-federal-prisons-have-conjugal-visits/661735/50 "2013-06-27T19:01:57Z")
> [@BubbaDog](#): > > Maybe he mentioned it because discouraging homosexuality between people who are not homosexual might just be a good thing. Prison isn’t a dating service and horny prisoners are going to take what they can get. What that does to their self image or their personal relationship with people on the outside may just be significant. > > It would be nice if they could manage to stay celibate or shrug off their in prison homosexuality as just a product of their situation but felons aren’t necessarily known for having a healthy self worth in the first place or for possibly being tolerant of different lifestyles. So the hetero convict that gives in to urges and has a homosexual encounter may just take it out on himself or others during his confinement and after release. > > I’m not advocating conjugal visits as much as just trying to explain to you why I think he said what he did. My hope is that you would quit insinuating his statement was gay bashing and understand it was just an acknowledgment that there are desperate heterosexuals in prison who have homosexual relations. And those relations just might hinder their rehabilitation. That’s what I’d like the OP to explain. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-federal-prisons-have-conjugal-visits/661735.md?page=2)