Prison Visitation and Concerns about Reentry: Variations in Frequency and Quality of Visits are Associated with Reentry Concerns among People Incarcerated in Prison
Restricted accessResearch articleFirst published online September, 2022
Prison Visitation and Concerns about Reentry: Variations in Frequency and Quality of Visits are Associated with Reentry Concerns among People Incarcerated in Prison
Prior studies suggest that visitation may have an impact on successful reentry. At the same time, the impact of visitation on incarcerated people’s concerns about reentry has received little empirical attention. Understanding how factors such as visitation affect concerns about reentry can provide correctional officials with policy directions on how to reduce strains and enhance successful reintegration. Further, while some studies have evaluated frequency of visitation far fewer have examined the impact of quality of visitation. Using a sample of males and females incarcerated in five correctional facilities (n = 3,084), this study examines how frequency and quality of visitation impact incarcerated people’s concerns about employment, housing, debt, and recidivism upon reentry. Findings suggest that more visits reduce concerns, while negative visits increase concerns about reentry.
AgnewR. (2006). General strain theory: Current status and directions for further research. In CullenF. T.WrightJ.BlevinsK. R. (eds), Taking stock: The status of criminological theory (pp. 101–23). Transaction.
3.
AlperM.DuroseM. R.MarkmanJ. (2018). 2018 update on prisoner recidivism: A 9-year follow-up period (2005-2014). Bureau of Justice Statistics.
4.
ArdittiJ. A. (2003). Locked doors and glass walls: Family visiting at a local jail. Journal of Loss & Trauma, 8(2), 115–138. https://doi.org/10.1080/15325020390168735
5.
ArdittiJ. A. (2012). Child trauma within the context of parental incarceration: A family process perspective. Journal of Family Theory & Review, 4(3), 181–219. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1756-2589.2012.00128.x
6.
ArdittiJ. A.SmockS. A.ParkmanT. S. (2005). “It’s been hard to be a father”: A qualitative exploration of incarcerated fatherhood. Fathering: A Journal of Theory, Research, & Practice about Men as Fathers, 3(3), 267–288. https://doi.org/10.3149/fth.0303.267
7.
Atkin-PlunkC. A.ArmstrongG. S. (2018). Disentangling the relationship between social ties, prison visitation, and recidivism. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 45(10), 1507–1526. https://doi.org/10.1177/0093854818772320
8.
BakerT.ZgobaK.GordonJ. A. (2019). Incarcerated for a sex offense: In-prison experiences and concerns about reentry. Sexual Abuse, 33(2), 135–156. https://doi.org/10.1177/1079063219884588
9.
BalesW. D.MearsD. P. (2008). Inmate social ties and the transition to society: Does visitation reduce recidivism?Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 45(3), 287–321. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022427808317574
10.
BarrickK.LattimoreP. K.VisherC. A. (2014). Reentering women: The impact of social ties on long-term recidivism. The Prison Journal, 94(3), 279–304. https://doi.org/10.1177/0032885514537596
11.
BeckmeyerJ. J.ArdittiJ. A. (2014). Implications of In-Person Visits for Incarcerated Parents’ Family Relationships and Parenting Experience. Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, 53(2), 129–151. https://doi.org/10.1080/10509674.2013.868390
12.
BenningC. L.LahmK. F. (2016). Effects of parent–child relationships on inmate behavior: A comparison of male and female inmates. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 60(2), 189–207. https://doi.org/10.1177/0306624X14551402.
13.
BergM. T.HuebnerB. M. (2011). Reentry and the ties that bind: An examination of social ties, employment, and recidivism. Justice Quarterly, 28(2), 382–410. https://doi.org/10.1080/07418825.2010.498383
14.
BronsonJ.CarsonE. A. (2019). Prisoners in 2017. Bureau of Justice Statistics.
Brunton-SmithI.McCarthyD. J. (2015). Prison legitimacy and procedural fairness: A multilevel examination of prisoners in England and Wales. Justice Quarterly, 33(6), 1029–1056. https://doi.org/10.1080/07418825.2015.1023215
17.
Casey-AcevedoK.BakkenT.KarleA. (2004). Children visiting mothers in prison: The effects on mothers’ behaviour and disciplinary adjustment. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Criminology, 37(3), 418–430. https://doi.org/10.1375/acri.37.3.418
18.
ChristianJ. (2005). Riding the bus: Barriers to prison visitation and family management strategies. Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice, 21(1), 31–48. https://doi.org/10.1177/1043986204271618
19.
ChristianJ.KennedyL. W. (2011). Secondary narratives in the aftermath of crime: Defining family members’ relationships with prisoners. Punishment & Society, 13(4), 379–402. https://doi.org/10.1177/1462474511414781
20.
CochranJ. C. (2012). The ties that bind or the ties that break: Examining the relationship between visitation and prisoner misconduct. Journal of Criminal Justice, 40(5), 433–440. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2012.06.001
21.
CochranJ. C. (2014). Breaches in the wall: Imprisonment, social support, and recidivism. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 51(2), 200–229. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022427813497963
22.
CochranJ. C.BarnesJ. C.MearsD. P.BalesW. D. (2018). Revisiting the effect of visitation on recidivism. Justice Quarterly, 37(2), 304–331. https://doi.org/10.1080/07418825.2018.1508606
23.
CochranJ. C.MearsD. P. (2013). Social isolation and inmate behavior: A conceptual framework for theorizing prison visitation and guiding and assessing research. Journal of Criminal Justice, 41(4), 252–261. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2013.05.001
24.
ComfortM. (2009). Doing time together: Love and family in the shadow of the prison. University of Chicago Press.
25.
CortinaJ. M. (1993). What is coefficient alpha? An examination of theory and applications. Journal of Applied Psychology, 78(1), 98–104. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.78.1.98
26.
CullenF. T.JonsonC. L. (2016). Correctional theory: Context and consequences. Sage Publications.
27.
CullenF. T.JonsonC. L.NaginD. S. (2011). Prisons do not reduce recidivism the high cost of ignoring science. The Prison Journal, 91(3), 48S–65S. https://doi.org/10.1177/0032885511415224
28.
DayG. J. (2010). Family time behind bars: The effect of visitation on institutional misconduct and recidivism among juvenile offenders (3448043) [Doctoral dissertation, Sam Houston State University]. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing.
DixeyR.WoodallJ. (2012). The significance of ‘the visit’ in an English category-B prison: Views from prisoners, prisoners’ families and prison staff. Community, Work & Family, 15(1), 29–47. https://doi.org/10.1080/13668803.2011.580125
31.
DuncanH. E.BalbarS. (2008). Evaluation of a visitation program at a Canadian penitentiary. The Prison Journal, 88(2), 300–327. https://doi.org/10.1177/0032885508319210
32.
DuweG.ClarkV. (2012). The importance of social support for prisoner reentry: The effects of visitation on offender recidivism. Corrections Today, 74(2), 46–50.
33.
DuweG.ClarkV. (2013). Blessed be the social tie that binds: The effects of prison visitation on offender recidivism. Criminal Justice Policy Review, 24(3), 271–296. https://doi.org/10.1177/0887403411429724
34.
FishmanL. T. (1990). Women at the wall: A study of prisoners’ wives doing time on the outside. Suny Press.
35.
HaganJ.DinovitzerR. (1999). Collateral consequences of imprisonment for children, communities, and prisoners. Crime and Justice, 26, 121–162. https://doi.org/10.1086/449296
36.
HickertA.PalmenH.DirkzwagerA.NieuwbeertaP. (2019). Receiving social support after short-term confinement: How support pre-and during-confinement contribute. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 56(4), 563–604. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022427819826302.
37.
HirschiT. (1969). Causes of delinquency. University of California Press.
JiangS.WinfreeL. T. (2006). Social support, gender, and inmate adjustment to prison life insights from a national sample. The Prison Journal, 86(1), 32–55. https://doi.org/10.1177/0032885505283876
40.
La VigneN. G.NaserR. L.BrooksL. E.CastroJ. L. (2005). Examining the effect of incarceration and in-prison family contact on prisoners’ family relationships. Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice, 21(4), 314–335. https://doi.org/10.1177/1043986205281727
41.
LaubJ. H.SampsonR. J. (2003). Shared beginnings, divergent lives: Delinquent boys to age 70. Harvard University Press.
42.
LindseyA. M.MearsD. P.CochranJ. C.BalesW. D.StultsB. J. (2015). In prison and far from home spatial distance effects on inmate misconduct. Crime & Delinquency, 0011128715614017. https://doi.org/10.1177/0011128715614017
43.
ListwanS. J.ColvinM.HanleyD.FlanneryD. (2010). Victimization, social support, and psychological well-being a study of recently released prisoners. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 37(10), 1140–1159. https://doi.org/10.1177/0093854810376338
44.
ListwanS. J.SullivanC. J.AgnewR.CullenF. T.ColvinM. (2013). The pains of imprisonment revisited: The impact of strain on inmate recidivism. Justice Quarterly, 30(1), 144–168. https://doi.org/10.1080/07418825.2011.597772
45.
Mallik-KaneK.VisherC. A. (2008). Health and prisoner reentry: How physical, mental, and substance abuse conditions shape the process of reintegration. Urban Institute Justice Policy Center.
46.
ManciniC.BakerT.SainjuK. D.GoldenK.BedardL. E.GertzM. (2016). Examining external support received in prison and concerns about reentry among incarcerated women. Feminist Criminology, 11(2), 163–190. https://doi.org/10.1177/1557085115579483
47.
McCarthyD.AdamsM. (2018). Can family–prisoner relationships ever improve during incarceration? Examining the primary caregivers of incarcerated young men. The British Journal of Criminology, 59(2), 378–395. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjc/azy039
48.
MearsD. P.CochranJ. C. (2015). Prisoner reentry in the era of mass incarceration. Sage.
MetcalfeC.BakerT.BradyC. M. (2019). Exploring the relationship between lasting, quality social bonds and intermittency in offending. American Journal of Criminal Justice, 44, 892–912. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12103-019-09486-4
51.
MeyersT. J.WrightK. A.YoungJ. T.TascaM. (2017). Social support from outside the walls: Examining the role of relationship dynamics among inmates and visitors. Journal of Criminal Justice, 52, 57–67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2017.07.012
52.
MitchellM. M.SpoonerK.JiaD.ZhangY. (2016). The effect of prison visitation on reentry success: A meta-analysis. Journal of Criminal Justice, 47, 74–83. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2016.07.006
53.
MoakS. C.WalkerJ. T.EarwoodM.ToweryG. (2020). Using reentry simulations to promote changes in attitude toward offenders: Experiential learning to promote successful reentry. American Journal of Criminal Justice, 45, 126–144. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12103-019-09500-9
54.
MowenT. J.VisherC. A. (2015). Drug use and crime after incarceration: The role of family support and family conflict. Justice Quarterly, 32(2), 337–359. https://doi.org/10.1080/07418825.2013.771207
55.
MowenT. J.VisherC. A. (2016). Changing the ties that bind: How incarceration impacts family relationships. Criminology & Public Policy, 15(2), 503–528. https://doi.org/10.1111/1745-9133.12207
56.
National Research Council. (2014). The growth of incarceration in the United States: Exploring causes and consequences (J. Travis & B. Western, Eds.). National Academies Press.
PetersiliaJ. (2003). When prisoners come home: Parole and prisoner reentry. Oxford University Press.
59.
PleggenkuhleB.HuebnerB. M.SummersM. (2018). Opting out: The role of identity, capital, and agency in prison visitation. Justice Quarterly, 35(4), 726–749. https://doi.org/10.1080/07418825.2017.1339113
60.
ReevesK. R. (2020). Reentry Simulation Awareness Exercise: Its impact on key stakeholders and the process of reintegration of ex-offenders (Publication No. 27959360) [Doctoral dissertation, Wilmington University]. Proquest Dissertations Publishing
61.
RicciardelliR.PetersA. M. F. (Eds.). (2017). After prison: Navigating employment and reintegration. Wilfrid Laurier University Press.
62.
RuchD. A.YoderJ. R. (2018). The effects of family contact on community reentry plans among incarcerated youths. Victims & Offenders, 13(5), 609–627. https://doi.org/10.1080/15564886.2017.1401571
63.
SampsonR. J.LaubJ. H. (1993). Crime in the making: Pathways and turning points through life. Harvard University Press.
64.
ShaplandJ.BottomsA. E. (2011). Reflections on social values, offending and desistance among young adult recidivists. Punishment and Society,13(3), 256–291. https://doi.org/10.1177/1462474511404334
65.
SiennickS. E.MearsD. P.BalesW. D. (2013). Here and gone: Anticipation and separation effects of prison visits on inmate infractions. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 50(3), 417–444. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022427812449470
TascaM.MulveyP.RodriguezN. (2016). Families coming together in prison: An examination of visitation encounters. Punishment & Society, 18(4), 459–478. https://doi.org/10.1177/1462474516642856
VisherC. A.La VigneN.TravisJ. (2004). Returning home: Understanding the challenges of prisoner reentry. Maryland pilot study: Findings from Baltimore. Urban Institute, Justice Policy Center.
VisherC. A.YahnerJ.LaVigneN. (2010). Life after prison: Tracking the experiences of male prisoners returning to Chicago, Cleveland, and Houston. Research Brief. Urban Institute, Justice Policy Center.
73.
WesternB. (2018). Homeward: Life in the year after prison. Russell Sage Foundation.
