Challenges
Family engagement preserves connections between those in custody and their loved ones – the same family members who can provide vital support during reentry. Family visitation for those in jail and prison has been shown to improve emotional, behavioral, and recidivism outcomes (McCoy and Boppre 2024). However, visitation practices in prisons and jails can make maintaining these connections more difficult, depending on how they’re implemented. If properly implemented, in-person contact visits allow for physical connection and promote continued bonding after release (Cramer et al. 2017). Parental visits can also encourage parents to comply with correctional programming and result in lower re-offense rates. Visitation may also lead to negative effects, eliciting feelings of shame for parents around their criminal legal system involvement. Individuals in custody may also fear the traumatic effects of correctional visits for their children and repeated separation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual visits emerged as an alternative to in-person visits to reduce the spread of the virus. However, there are reasons for concern about the use of video visits as an alternative to, rather than as a complement to, in-person visits. For instance, virtual visits may not be an optimal solution for those of lower socio-economic backgrounds due to lack of access to high-speed internet, quality devices, and the cost of calling.
Opportunities
Expert panel participants viewed the development of video visits as a net positive. The emergence of digital connection provided an avenue for communication that otherwise may not have been an option due to the pandemic, transportation barriers, and/or concerns with exposing children to correctional settings. Though opinions vary on the function of virtual visits in lieu of in-person visits, experts at the very least agreed that they serve as a beneficial supplement for in-person family engagement. Jurisdictions can continue to integrate technologies, such as video visitation, into family reunification efforts.
- Information sharing also plays an important role in engaging families and allowing them to serve as reentry partners. In addition to educating the individual in custody on what reentry will look like, there is value in extending this education to the person’s family. With clear and realistic expectations for what to expect post-release, families are equipped to better prepare for and assist with reentry measures. As one expert described their experience engaging with families: “We don’t engage family. And that is a misstep…As a warden I got calls from family just checking in to see if the person was doing well, they’re taking this medication, is that okay? That line of communication was really important.” Another expert said that their jail tries to engage a family member in reentry planning and provide them with a copy of the reentry plan.
- While messaging around family engagement often uplifts the needs of mothers, experts cautioned against missing or minimizing the role of fathers when developing family engagement procedures. Mainstream narratives falsely portray fathers as absent or less involved than mothers, but this fallacy can be harmful. Family engagement measures should prioritize all parents in expanding visitation and engagement opportunities.