Gays and lesbians allowed conjugal visits in prisons

Gays and lesbians allowed conjugal visits in prisons
Mark Martin, Chronicle Sacramento Bureau

(06-01) 04:00 PDT Sacramento -- California's prison system is changing its regulations to allow conjugal visits for gay and lesbian inmates in response to a legal threat and a 2003 law that gave domestic partners many of the same rights as married couples.

Facing a complaint from an inmate in a Vacaville prison and pressure from the American Civil Liberties Union, the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has begun to allow overnight visits for inmates with registered domestic partners and is to adopt permanent regulations later this year. The change will allow gay and lesbian inmates the same rights as other inmates, who are eligible to spend up to three days with family members in living areas -- usually trailers -- on prison grounds.

Corrections officials say they are responding to legislation signed by former Gov. Gray Davis that awarded more rights to registered domestic partners and prohibited state agencies from discriminating against domestic partners.

"We intend to comply with the law,'' said Terry Thornton, a spokeswoman for the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

Only five other states -- Connecticut, Mississippi, New Mexico, New York and Washington -- allow conjugal visits of any kind; California is believed to be the first state in the country to allow visits for domestic partners.

The new regulations will add domestic partners to a list of family members, ranging from spouses to siblings to grandparents, who can visit inmates overnight.

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