Outside In: The Role of Visitation on Within-Prison and Post-Release Behavior

• In Event: Correctional Practices and (Un)intended Outcomes

Abstract

Research has generally documented that prison visitation retains social ties between incarcerated persons (IP) and their friends and families, lowering the likelihood of in-custody misconduct and recidivism. While the role of visitation characteristics (e.g., who visits, frequency of visits, relationship quality) have been studied extensively for recidivism outcomes, it is unclear how these factors may influence in-custody behavior. As such, the current study assessed visitation characteristics (i.e., presence of visitation, frequency) on recidivism, as well as misconduct, to see if these factors similarly predict in- and post-custody success. Data come from agency records from a Northeastern correctional facility, including approximately 10,000 incarcerated men. Results demonstrated that IP who receive visits have increased risk of misconduct but are less likely to be readmitted to a facility. Among those who are readmitted, IP who receive visits spend much longer in the community before their re-admission, and this increases as the number of visits increases. Informing correctional practice and policy, these findings aid our understanding of custodial visitation on multiple outcomes.

Authors

• Amber Krushas, University of Nevada, Las Vegas

• Alexandra Nur, University of Nevada, Las Vegas