The state of Nebraska banned pornography for inmates in the state prison system starting January of 2018. Now, an inmate is challenging the ban in a lawsuit that alleges the ban is “blatantly provoking” non-gay men to have sex with other men.
Inmate Danny Robinson Jr. filed the lawsuit last week, charging that the state’s prison porn ban is too vague, and is aimed only at preventing the sexual arousal of heterosexual men, according to a report by The Lincoln Journal-Star.
The ban prevents inmates from possessing materials that depict sexual acts or nudity involving males or females. The ban allows inmates to possess “muscle mags” that show bare-chested men in poses that could cause sexual excitement in gay men or women, Robinson’s lawsuit claims.
“In an environment of desperately horny and sexually frustrated men, [prison officials] are blatantly provoking them to have sex with each other to satisfy their sexual urges,” the inmate wrote in the lawsuit.
He also said that inmates are still permitted to watch TV programs containing nudity and sexual situations, as well as to read racy romance novels.
When the ban was being contemplated in 2017, State Corrections Director Scott Frakes said that allowing inmates access to porn would be “counter-productive” to the goal of promoting “pro-social” behavior among the prison population.
“Pornographic materials are exploitative and create a hostile work environment for [prison] staff members,” Frakes said at the time. “These materials do not promote a positive culture.”
A spokesperson for the state’s correctional department told the Associated Press that it could not comment on pending litigation.
Robinson is currently serving a life sentence for a 2001 gang-related murder.
Photo By Nebraska Department of Corrections
