Prison visitation is a primary mechanism for maintaining the well-being of incarcerated individuals and reducing their odds of institutional rule violations and post-incarceration offenses. Research also underscores the variation that exists in prison visitation and its effects and highlights that these may vary by factors not fully explored. The current study fills in this gap in several important ways. Firstly, the study analyzes whether and to what extent prison visitation is influenced by individual characteristics of incarcerated individuals, particularly their risk factors and mental health status. Secondly, the study analyzes the role of prison visitation in explaining subsequent effects on individuals’ post-release reoffending by focusing on several critical dimensions of prison visitation, including the type of visitors (e.g., family, friends, others) and the frequency and duration of the visitation. Lastly, connecting these two areas, the study investigates the potential mediating or moderating role of prison visitation between the role of individual risk factors and subsequent post-release recidivism. The study draws on a rich data set on a large random sample of parolees from Pennsylvania, United States. The results have significant policy implications in particular as they relate to policies and practices surrounding prison visitations and efforts to increase equity and fairness in this regard, especially when considering that the majority of people incarcerated are never visited.

 

Moderated by Linda Janes, Chair, Community Corrections Network, ICPA, United States