Posted on   1/4/2012  11:26 PM

We can confirm this new research:

A visit from a family member or a friend can make a big difference in whether a prisoner ends up back behind bars after being released, a new study finds.

According to the Huffington Post: “The study, by researchers with the Minnesota Department of Corrections, determined that prisoners who received at least one personal visit at any time during their incarceration were 13 percent less likely to commit another felony and 25 percent less likely to end up back in prison on a technical parole violation. Data showed that the more visits prisoners received, the lower their chance of re-offending after release.”

The study tracked 16,000 prisoners over nearly five years. Similar findings were reported by smaller-scale studies that found an even larger correlation between prison visitation and inmates' likelihood of re-offending.

A major part of our program is taking children to prisons so they can reconnect with their incarcerated parents. During these visits, the bond between child and their mothers or fathers is not only strengthened, but the morale and attitude of the incarcerated parent improves too. 


That means: inmates participating in our program were less likely to have disciplinary reports in the prisons – and it is often the case that their patterns of good behavior continue when they are released.

A growing body of research indicates that visits by family, friends, religious figures and community mentors are overwhelmingly positive for inmates.

The Huffington Post article added: “A single parole violation that returns a released inmate to prison, even briefly, costs upwards of $9,000. A prisoner who commits a new felony and spends additional years behind bars will cost far more.”

It makes sense to remove barriers standing in the way of prison visits. Certainly children benefit from this, as well as prisoners themselves, and, of course, the taxpayers.

Read the rest of the Huffington Post article here.