Research shows that when people who are incarcerated get to see their family members in person, it helps them not just emotionally but in other ways too. One study showed a 25 percent drop in misconduct by people while incarcerated, and another study found a 26 percent decrease in recidivism.

So, if practitioners and policymakers want to make our communities safer, they can start by making it easier for families to visit their loved ones in jails and prisons. Here are four ways to increase access.

1. Improve correctional facilities’ communications 
   Families often struggle to find clear information about when and how to visit their loved ones in jail or prison. This confusion can lead to fewer or no visits at all. Correctional facilities can help by improving how they communicate and deliver information to families. 

   Providing updated websites with detailed visiting information, such as instruction on dress codes, visit expectations, scheduling procedures, available visiting times, and public transport options, can help. For example, Washington County Jail in Minnesota offers specific guidelines for general visits and for visiting with children. 

   Printed materials for families and children can also help. The Oregon Department of Corrections, working with mothers incarcerated at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility, developed a guide to help children (PDF) understand what it means when a family member is incarcerated. Such handbooks are valuable resources, offering essential information and answers to common questions.

   Because canceling visits is common in jails and prisons (for security issues or if the person who is incarcerated is being punished by having their visits stopped, among other reasons), automated notification systems can help. They can quickly inform families if a visit is canceled so they don’t waste time and money traveling.

   Lastly, correctional facilities can inform people who are incarcerated and their families about support groups available both locally and nationally, which are often grassroot organizations run by volunteers and nonprofits. Many families have reported benefiting from the support and information these groups provide.

2. Adapt family search procedures to make them easier for children
   The environment and processes required to visit a family member in prison or jail, like the required searches, often feel intimidating. However, there are ways to make these visits more comfortable and family friendly.

   Starting with the search process, simple changes can make a big difference. For example, when searching small children, staff members can kneel to be at the child’s level, making the experience less scary. They can also demonstrate what they need the child to do, like turning their pockets inside out, in a playful way.

   The visiting spaces themselves are often unwelcoming, especially to families with children, which can discourage them from visiting. They’re usually plain and lack activities for children, making long visits particularly hard for young kids. To improve this, facilities can provide a range of books, games, and toys suitable for different ages; decorate with play rugs; organize toys by age group; have nonuniformed staff in the visiting area (to make them appear less intimidating); and offer private spaces for nursing mothers and changing tables in restrooms.

3. Offer more time and ways to connect
   Providing various visiting options, like contact visits, noncontact visits, and extended visits, caters to different needs and helps support positive connections. Contact visits, where families can interact more freely, are generally seen as the best for children’s psychological well-being. In contrast, noncontact visits, often conducted behind plexiglass, can be upsetting, particularly for young children.
4. Make phone calls cheaper or free 
   For those who cannot visit in person, offering low-cost or free video and phone calls can provide a lifeline. Correctional systems can follow the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation‘s lead by providing low-cost or free options. A 15-minute call from a state prison can be expensive—costs range between $0.14 and $4.30—with the average for jails costing three times as much, for a total estimated $1.3 billion in costs to families. The costs of video visits are also high, at an estimated $12.95 per 30-minute call.

Ensuring people who are incarcerated have access to their loved ones benefits families and reduces their future system involvement. This means these small changes can have ripple effects that ultimately make entire communities safer.