Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Coping with Minority Stress in American Jails and Prisons

The study examined how sexual and gender minority (SGM) persons cope with minority stress in jails and prisons based on 53 semi-structured interviews with formerly incarcerated participants in the New York City metropolitan area. Coping revolved around two strategies. First, participants withdrew from their SGM identity and community as a form of safety-management. Second, participants fought back by leveraging both formal and informal channels, asserting their humanity in the spaces they could. While both strategies offered participants some protection or short-term benefit, they also came at a cost. The study contributes to understanding coping strategies among incarcerated SGM persons and underscores the tensions they experience when navigating correctional institutions misaligned with sexual and gender diversity.