Jail Visitation: An Assessment of Alternative Modalities
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
4-1-2021
Abstract
The existing research on inmate visitation disproportionately focuses on the social ties between mother and child within a traditional face-to-face engagement at state prisons. This overreliance on a certain type of visit has limited empirical assessments of the visitation process. The current study features a purposive sample of 47 (n = 47) visitors to a remote visitation center linked to a county jail. Qualitative responses indicate that respondents held positive perceptions of staff and the facility itself. Visiting sessions were complex, with visitors displaying an assortment of individual needs, previous visitation experiences, and goals for the visit. Participants did experience a loss of privacy and they employed strategies to retain a personal sense of privacy. Technology was highly valued by visitors, with frustrations being common when technology failed. However, the use of a remote visitation coupled with technology served as a positive and effective modality for jail visitation.
Publication Title
Criminal Justice Policy Review
Volume
32
Issue
3
First Page
284
Last Page
299
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
10.1177/0887403420921221
ISSN
08874034
E-ISSN
15523586
Citation Information
Sitren, A. H., Smith, H. P., Andersen, T. S., & Bookstaver, M. R. (2021). Jail Visitation: An Assessment of Alternative Modalities. Criminal Justice Policy Review, 32(3), 284–299. https://doi.org/10.1177/0887403420921221