Prisons should take steps to improve inmate visitation, which significantly reduces recidivism, a university study concludes.
“Revising visitation policies to make them more ‘visitor friendly’ may represent a relatively low cost, potentially high benefit measure that correctional systems could take to help ease the burden of prison overcrowding and budget deficits,” said the report. It was authored by Grant Duwe and Valerie Clark on behalf of the Department of Criminology at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
Visits from siblings, in-laws, fathers and clergy showed to be the most beneficial in reducing recidivism, the report said.
STUDY
The study was conducted among 16,420 offenders released from Minnesota prisons between 2003 and 2007 and 7,000 Florida inmates serving a minimum sentence of one year.
Researchers reported that visits from family and friends provide a means of establishing, maintaining and enhancing social support networks.
The strengthening of these social bonds is important because many released offenders rely on families and friends for employment opportunities, financial assistance and housing.
However, studies reveal that the policies and practices of prisons often impede visitation for three major reasons.
First, most prisons are located in rural areas. Since many prisoners come from poverty, their families cannot typically afford to travel to distant prisons.
Second, few prison visiting programs are designated to encourage visits. Many prisons perform background checks on potential visitors, and anyone with a criminal record is usually barred from visiting. Also, visiting hours are usually limited to a few hours and are only allowed on certain days.
Third, visiting programs can have poor service and uncomfortable settings. Families often have to wait long hours in line to get processed in with no rest rooms or vending machines and with poor air circulation.
VISITS
During visits inmates and their visitors are closely watched and allowed little, if any, physical contact.
A 2008 study of Florida prisoners suggested that prisons can foster better visitation by implementing the following:
• Place inmates in facilities nearest to their home communities as possible
• Encourage community service agencies and organizations to visit inmates
• Ensure parking is available for visitors
• Expand visiting hours to evenings and weekends to accommodate visitors who are employed or have to travel long distances
• Decrease bureaucratic barriers to visitation
• Increase the cultural sensitivity of prison staff members
• Make sure that visitation rooms are clean, comfortable and hospitable.
Overall, research also suggests that correctional programming tends to be more effective when there is a continuum of care or service delivery from the prison to the community, the report noted.
