Visiting relatives in prison made difficult by poor, inconsistent information, study finds
“I looked online but I still got in trouble for dress code once. Lace. Lace on the back of my shirt. Not cleavage, or it being skintight…lace. You’re not allowed to wear any lace, not in max, but there was no information about that, for I wouldn’t have worn it if I knew. I had to change into this old smelly shirt to go in or my visit was to be cancelled [getting emotional]…this was my first visit and I had driven over four hours to get there.” Study participant
Prison visits are known to reduce recidivism and help prisoners remain connected so they have people to support them on release, but the process of finding information about visitation is largely unreliable and untrustworthy, a La Trobe University study has found.
The study found most visitors, particularly those new to the prison system, found it extremely difficult to find information about how to organise a visit, what to wear, and the appropriate process and behaviour during a visit.
Many thought they had been given appropriate advice, but when they arrived at the prison their visit was cancelled or they were given a warning because they had worn unsanctioned clothing, brought a banned object, or had talked to another visitor, for instance.
The visitors said the poor information and process added another layer of stress to an extremely difficult situation that had often already brought them condemnation and embarrassment from their community.
The study, published in Psychiatry, Psychology and Law, was led by Dr Nicole Ryan, a criminologist in the La Trobe University Law School, in collaboration with Dr Nathan Ryan from the Australian Catholic University.
The academics recruited 248 participants who completed an online survey about their experiences in access information about visiting someone in prison. Of those, 21 agreed to participate in an anonymous and confidential in-depth interview.
It is the first research to investigate how people new to prison visitation find information about
