Examining the effects of in-prison visits on recidivism: An instrumental variable approach

• In Event: Visitation Behind Bars

Abstract

Visits from loved ones have long been considered a vital part of an inmate’s rehabilitation and reentry process. There is a growing body of literature on prison inmate visitation that tends to suggest positive impact of visitation in the form of reduced recidivism; however, given that there are possibly competing theoretical expectations for the impact of visits, it is crucial to examine the question of whether prison visitation has causal effects on recidivism. This paper assesses this question using a cohort of male inmates released in 2008 from Pennsylvania prisons. We estimate the effects of visits using distance from home in travel time as an instrumental variable, aiming to isolate the exogenous variation in visitation. The findings will have implications for prison visitation policies to contribute to the reduction of recidivism in a cost-effective manner.

Authors

• Nicolette Bell, Pennsylvania Department of Corrections

• Kristofer Bret Bucklen, Pennsylvania Department of Corrections

• Kiminori Nakamura, University of Maryland