CONJUGAL VISITATION POLICY IN U.S. PRISONS

Conjugal Visitation Policy in U.S. Prisons

Conjugal Visitation Policy in U.S. Prisons

There are few jurisdictions in the United States which afford inmates the privilege of conjugal visitation in their correctional facilities. The lack of conjugal visitation programs in penal institutions; subsequently, has resulted in a scarcity of scholarly literature on the topic. However, some of the more notable studies of conjugal visitation programs in the United States will be discussed here. There is great public demand for the abolition of inmate privileges in the United States. The thought of inmates enjoying themselves while serving a punitive prison sentence is largely unacceptable to innocent, American citizens who fall prey to criminal acts. This "get tough"philosophy on punishing criminals is not overly interested in rehabilitating inmates nor is it interested in alternative programs which may reduce recidivism rates. The focus is on the incarceration of criminals not the reformation of them. Obviously, this type of thinking does not welcome the implementation of conjugal visitation programs in American correctional facilities.

The reduction of privileges such as conjugal visitations leave correction administrators little to work with in their dealings with inmates. These administrators need some type of bargaining tool to induce inmates to behave accordingly. Having no incentives to offer the inmates may directly inhibit the rehabilitative process. The state of Mississippi allows conjugal visitations; however, recently the state House Penitentiary Committee chairman Bennett Malone, who describes the state prisons as country clubs, has called for the abrogation of the program. In recent years, lawmakers of the state have stripped inmates of other privileges such as: lifting weights, radios, televisions, magazines, etc. This type of legislation makes Mississippi Corrections Commissioner Steve Puckett's job of correcting state offenders much more difficult and may place his correctional staff in further danger (1).

Mississippi legislatures are not alone in their attempt to leave inmates with no privileges. The trend is mirrored throughout much of the country. Legislatures are continuously creating laws which are supposed to reduce crime and to make the public feel safe. However, creating statutes that abolish inmate privileges leave correctional officials with volatile prisons that serves as incubators for violence and a birthplace of subversive behavior. Not all inmates are serving life sentences. The majority of prisoners are released. The "lock'em up and throw away the key" attitude is bad policy. If offenders are becoming worse criminals while serving their sentences and then being released back into society, then correctional institutions are not serving their purpose. Policymakers must re-evaluate the policies they create with the end result in mind.

It would be a futile argument to make by saying that conjugal visitation would be a panacea for rehabilitating inmates, but if the programs offer some benefits they should receive a close look from both policymakers and correctional administrations. Where conjugal visitation programs do exist, they are nearly without exception reserved for married inmates. While married inmates do not make up the majority of most prison populations, their numbers are ...