1,000 signatures reached
To: Texas Department of Criminal Justice and Rehabilitation
Family Unity visits in Texas💕
This has actually been a subject that has been talked about for a while among the prison community and families! Providing family structure for the children and spouses left behind, supporting the mental health of the incarcerated, and reducing recidivism after incarcerated people reenter our communities. The. Texas Department of Criminal Justice and Rehabilitation should work on a plan for inmates who maintain close ties with spouses, partners, and family members are more likely to successfully reenter society upon release and less likely to commit crimes. A number of studies support this common-sense conclusion. A conjugal visit is private time that a inmate may spend with a spouse or married partner. The idea behind such visitation is to allow inmates to have intimate contact, that is, sex, with their partners. Depending on the state's extended family visitation program, a conjugal or extended family visit may last a few hours or overnight.
Why is this important?
It is acknowledged that a family visit is a privilege not a right, but having said family visits will help the inmate in the following:
A inmate who has maintained close family and spouse or partner relationships will often have a stronger community to return to upon release, making the likelihood of successful return to society greater and the draw of further criminal activity less powerful. Studies also show that inmates allowed conjugal and family visits are less prone to violence and other misconduct while incarcerated.
And it's not just about the inmate. Children who lose a parent to incarceration may experience the trauma of losing a primary caregiver and income provider. These children are more likely to grow up experiencing poverty and housing insecurity, plus feelings of shame and abandonment. Being a child of an incarcerated parent is recognized as an adverse childhood experience (ACE). Having a connection with a parent in prison may alleviate some of the trauma and effects of their separation.
A inmate who has maintained close family and spouse or partner relationships will often have a stronger community to return to upon release, making the likelihood of successful return to society greater and the draw of further criminal activity less powerful. Studies also show that inmates allowed conjugal and family visits are less prone to violence and other misconduct while incarcerated.
And it's not just about the inmate. Children who lose a parent to incarceration may experience the trauma of losing a primary caregiver and income provider. These children are more likely to grow up experiencing poverty and housing insecurity, plus feelings of shame and abandonment. Being a child of an incarcerated parent is recognized as an adverse childhood experience (ACE). Having a connection with a parent in prison may alleviate some of the trauma and effects of their separation.
How it will be delivered
In person and press conference.