Exploring the Impact of Visitation on Incarcerated Individuals

• In Event: The Prison Experience for Incarcerated People and Their Support Systems

Abstract

Research consistently demonstrates that prison visitation helps maintain social connections and improves post-release outcomes, with studies showing significantly higher parole completion rates among inmates who receive visitors. However, gaps exist in understanding how sentence length moderates visitation effects, how visitation patterns vary across demographic groups, how barriers to child visitation impact overall visitation, and how pre-incarceration relationships influence prison visitation patterns.
This study analyzes the Bureau of Justice Statistics 2016 Survey of Prison Inmates (n = 24,848) to examine: (1) differences in visitation patterns between short-term and long-term incarcerated individuals; (2) variations in visitation patterns and visitor types across demographic groups; (3) the impact of different barriers to child visitation on overall visitation frequency; and (4) the influence of pre-incarceration household relationships on prison visitation frequency. Using latent class analysis, chi-square tests, and ordinal logistic regression, the study will identify visitation trajectory patterns and their predictors. By addressing these key quantitative questions, this research will contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of how incarceration impacts social connections and identify potential interventions to strengthen support systems for incarcerated individuals.

Authors

• Sudeshna Das, University of New Haven

• Kevin Barnes-Ceeney, University of New Haven