Time for a change.

Incarcerated parents have substantial impacts on families living situations and relationships. A large number of people are incarcerated far from their homes causing a burden for family members to have the opportunity to visit. 59% in state prisons and 45% in federal prisons did not have any personal visits with their children.

It has been shown that the harsh and unfriendly setting of the prison visiting area can have substantially harmful effects on children which can lead to crying, fear, and emotional outburst. Strict visiting guidelines create a sense of imprisonment for family visitors. Visitors can feel controlled, degraded, and intimidated by the strict prison guidelines imposed on visitors. Wait times can be long and people may be asked to leave the visit due to changes in rules without notice. The visiting setting with electric fences, large metal doors, uncomfortable furniture, the lack of family games, denial of human contact, and the pat-down procedure on children during security check can bring trauma in the child.