NCJ Number
53838
Date Published
1977
Length
177 pages
Annotation
A SURVEY OF VISITING POLICIES IN 176 STATE CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS IS PRESENTED. CHARACTERISTICS OF VISITORS ARE IDENTIFIED FROM A SAMPLE OF 383 PERSONS WHO COMPLETED QUESTIONNAIRES IN A PRISON WAITING ROOM.
Abstract
FOR THE INSTITUTION SURVEY, QUESTIONNAIRES WERE MAILED TO 257 STATE FACILITIES, REPLIES WERE RECEIVED FROM 176. IT WAS FOUND THAT INSTITUTIONS RANGE FROM TOLERATION OF VISITING TO ACTIVE ENCOURAGEMENT AND THAT THIS FACTOR IS RELATED TO GEOGRAPHY. OF THE 12 STATES WHICH LIMIT VISITS TO WEEKENDS OR WEEKENDS AND HOLIDAYS, 10 ARE IN THE SOUTH OR SOUTHWEST. SOME STATES HAD MIXED PATTERNS. FOLLOWING AN OVERVIEW OF THE LITERATURE, WHICH INDICATES THAT REGULAR VISITS FROM FAMILY AND FRIENDS ARE RELATED TO PAROLE SUCCESS, FACTORS WHICH INFLUENCE BOTH THE NUMBER OF VISITORS AND THE VISITING SCHEDULES ARE ANALYZED. INSTITUTIONS LOCATED 100 OR MORE MILES FROM AN INMATE'S HOME TENDED TO ALLOW LONGER VISITS OF UP TO 5 OR 6 HOURS. THOSE WITH SMALLER VISITING SPACE TENDED TO ALLOW MORE FREQUENT VISITS. AGE OF THE BUILDING WAS THE SINGLE FACTOR MOST CLOSELY CORRELATED WITH VISITING SPACE. VARIOUS MEANS USED TO SCREEN VISITORS AND TO ADVISE THEM OF VISITING RULES ARE DESCRIBED. THE VISITOR SURVEY FOUND THAT 73 PERCENT OF VISITORS ARE FEMALE, MOST OF THEM BEING WIVES, FIANCEES, OR GIRL FRIENDS. MOTHERS WERE ALSO FREQUENT VISITORS. MOST VISITORS ARRIVE BY PRIVATE CAR, AND MANY BRING CHILDREN WITH THEM. LOWER INCOME GROUPS VISIT MORE THAN HIGHER INCOME GROUPS. NUMEROUS TABLES DETAIL THESE FINDINGS. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT FURTHER RESEARCH BE DONE ON A NUMBER OF ASPECTS. IT IS ALSO CLAIMED THAT VISITING IS A RIGHT OF THE FAMILY AS WELL AS OF THE INMATE. WAYS TO ENCOURAGE VISITING ARE EXPLORED. REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (GLR)