Effects of Prison Visitation on Offender Recidivism

A recent study demonstrated the impact connection and communication with family has on reducing recidivism. Specifically, the impact of visitation on recidivism. The study also found that nearly 40 percent of prisoners were not visited once while in prison.

It is clear from this study that by providing a more frequent and better means of communicating for both those who receive visitors, and especially for those who do not, recidivism can be reduced. One means of doing so is to provide increased access to telecommunications services between visits. The meshDETECT secure prison cell phone solution addresses this opportunity. By providing each prisoner with a secure cell phone, more and higher quality phone contact will result and recidivism will be reduced. As the study states, “the more sources of social support an offender has, the lower the risk of recidivism.”

The Minnesota Department of Corrections (DOC) recently completed a study that examined the effects of prison visitation on offender recidivism. Using an average follow-up period of nearly five years, the study evaluated the relationship between prison visitation and recidivism among 16,420 offenders released from Minnesota prisons between 2003 and 2007.

KEY FINDINGS

• Offenders who were visited in prison were significantly less likely to recidivate. The reductions in recidivism were:
– 13 percent for a felony reconviction
– 25 percent for reincarceration for a technical violation revocation

• Nearly 40 percent of the offenders were not visited once while in prison.

• Visits from siblings, in-laws, fathers and clergy were the most beneficial in lowering recidivism.

• The frequency with which inmates were visited had a significant effect on recidivism.
– Inmates visited more often were less likely to recidivate.

• Visits closer to an offender’s release date had a greater impact on reducing recidivism.

• The larger an offender’s social support system, the lower the risk for recidivism.
– The total number of different individual visitors an offender had was significantly associated with less recidivism.

The findings suggest that prison visitation can significantly improve the transition
offenders make from the institution to the community. Any visit reduced the risk of
recidivism by 13 percent for felony reconvictions and 25 percent for technical violation
revocations. The findings further showed that more frequent and recent visits were
associated with a decreased risk of recidivism. The results also suggest that the more
sources of social support an offender has, the lower the risk of recidivism.

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Brian

Managing Partner at meshIP, LLC

Brian Byrne is the founder and Managing Partner of Dallas based meshIP, a technology services firm offering cloud computing strategies and services. He is an accomplished executive with senior management experience in all facets of the technology, telecom, cloud computing, and SaaS industries. He has proven success in developing, financing and executing strategic plans as well as launching new ventures. His background includes a record of significant achievement in international business development and his credentials include a MBA in Marketing and Management Strategy from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University, a MS from the School of Computer Science at DePaul University, and a BBA in Finance from the University of Notre Dame.

He is also the inventor of the patented meshDETECT, Secure Prison Cell Phone Solutions.

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