NCJ Number
146964
Journal
Federal Probation Volume: 57 Issue: 4 Dated: (December 1993) Pages: 41-47
Date Published
1993
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This study develops a profile of those who visit women in prisons in California, including the children who visit.
Abstract
Visitors to California's three women's prisons were involved in the study. Ninety-seven interviews were conducted on six days during February and March 1993. The interviews were face-to-face and were guided by a closed questionnaire. The variables measured by the interviews were visitor knowledge about and use of the visitor center, demographic information about the visitor, visiting child profile, barriers to visiting, and the strength of the visitor/inmate tie. The results corroborate the findings of previous similar studies. Proximity is a significant precondition for prison visitation. Seventy-one percent of the sample lived within 100 miles of the prison facility, and 80 percent described the trip to the prison as easy or very easy. Although obstacles to visitation were cited by 48 percent of the sample, visitation was such a priority that sacrifices were consistently made by this group. Regular monthly visits were the norm for 82 percent of the respondents. The visitors in the sample were from multiple ethnic groups, with a predominance of white female visitors. Most visiting males were "friends," and visiting females were the mothers of the inmates. Approximately 70 percent of visitors consistently visited, wrote, and maintained contact with inmates by phone. All of the visiting children came to see a relative, most often their incarcerated mothers. Recommendations to enhance mother-child visitations are space conducive to quality and peaceful visiting, separate mother/child areas where the mother role can be fostered, programs to enhance family interaction during visits, and improved visitor processing. Five areas for further study are suggested. 18 references