Examining Barriers to Prison Visitation

• In Event: Prison Visitation and Contact with Family During Incarceration

Abstract

The Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that more than half of state prison inmates are parents of minor children. At the same time, less than half of all incarcerated parents report receiving visits from their children while incarcerated. Theory and research suggest, however, that visitation may be beneficial for inmates and their family members, especially children, but inmates’ families face a range of pragmatic barriers to visitation. In particular, prior research suggests that economic disadvantage creates or exacerbates the challenges individuals face visiting someone in prison. This study seeks to contribute to research efforts to understand prison visitation and the factors that influence it by examining the extent to which disadvantage influences the likelihood that children visit their incarcerated parents. Implications for theory, research, and policy are discussed.

Authors

• Batya Y. Rubenstein, University of Cincinnati

• Joshua C. Cochran, University of Cincinnati