NCJ Number
174532
Journal
International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology Volume: 41 Issue: 1 Dated: March 1997 Pages: 79-85
Date Published
1997
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This article attempts to determine the correlates of the number of visitors and number of visits with inmates in a medium-security prison in Nevada.
Abstract
The four dependent variables in this study were number of visits and number of visitors in the past month and in the past year. The bivariate independent variables were married versus not married, visitors mainly family versus visitors mainly friends, and inmate's home in Nevada versus inmate's home outside Nevada. The continuous independent variables were inmate's age, number of previous times in prison, and distance of home from Las Vegas (which is 30 minutes from the Southern Desert Correctional Center and where the majority of inmates who call Nevada their home are from). Visits and visitors were more numerous for inmates whose visitors were primarily family members, and visitation was positively correlated with proximity to the prison (i.e., the home was in Nevada). Because the commitment of those who visit appears to be strong, prisons may want to consider using the inmate-visitor bond by including visitors in inmate counseling and arrangements made in connection with release from prison. Tables, appendix, references