{"id":2397,"date":"2019-02-14T08:00:57","date_gmt":"2019-02-14T14:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/trot\/?p=2397"},"modified":"2019-02-12T11:08:23","modified_gmt":"2019-02-12T17:08:23","slug":"love-behind-bars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/trot\/2019\/02\/14\/love-behind-bars\/","title":{"rendered":"Love Behind Bars"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Photo of a package wrapped in brown paper. Photo by Karen Apricot, Flickr CC<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Every February, people strive to get reservations in a romantic restaurant, find the right present for the person they love, or send a passionate letter to convey their feelings. But this does not work for everybody. As confinement can prevent prison populations from dating or buying gifts, prisoners and their partners experience Valentine\u2019s Day as a reminder of the far-reaching consequences of the deprivation of their freedom. <\/span><\/p>\n

Contemporary kinship and family heavily rely on the consumption of goods to express love and affection. However, prison confinement alters conventional rules of exchange and reciprocity<\/a>. Because of security concerns, correctional authorities eliminate spaces where prisoners can demonstrate physical affection and sustain loving relationships with their partners. Since prisoners also lose the possibility of earning a decent salary and purchasing and exchanging goods, they are prevented from providing for their families, let alone offering them gifts. The difficulties of sustaining loving relationships threatens prisoners identities as spouses, partners, and parents. Men in prison not only lose their freedom, but also their sexual autonomy and sense of masculinity.<\/h5>\n