Research/Document Library

The Effects of Prison Visitation on Offender Recidivism

According to a report released by the Minnesota Department of Corrections, visitation to inmates can reduce recidivism by more than 25 percent. In the study, visits from siblings, in-laws, fathers, and clergy were the most beneficial in reducing the risk of recidivism, whereas visits from ex-spouses significantly increased the risk. The findings suggest that revising prison visitation policies to make the experience more ‘visitor friendly’ could yield public safety benefits by helping offenders establish a continuum of social support from prison to the community. To download this report, click here.

Available online

http://www.doc.state.mn.us/

Date

11/15/11

Publisher

Minnesota Department of Corrections

Periodical

2011

Where published

St. Paul, Minnesota