Introduction
Since my first encounter with a correctional facility more than
twenty years ago, I have made numerous visits and spent thousands of
hours in prisons and jails throughout the United States. As a personal
visitor, a social worker developing programs, a researcher conducting
studies, a prison and jail monitor and an invited guest of prison
administration, my experiences have been diverse. Over the years, I
have witnessed many changes.
The county jail that I toured most recently was far cleaner and
appeared to be more orderly run than the site of my first correctional
facility visit, a big city jail. The county jail was more family—and
community—oriented, and program staff seemed genuinely interested in
enhancing the post-release success of the prisoners who were housed
there. In addition to vocational training, college courses, and
religious programs, the jail had domestic violence prevention services,
parenting classes and women's support groups. The special visiting
program for women and their young children, a rarity in jails years ago
and a practice that is still scarce, was a source of pride. The program
administrator indicated that he also wanted to develop programs for
women returning home and their children, and he lamented the fact that
it was very difficult to get participation from community agencies and
academic institutions.
While there were clearly differences between this particular jail and
the one I first visited many years ago, some things remained the same.
Most of the persons incarcerated were male. The majority were African
American or Latino and many were quite young. Jail data indicated that
many had substance abuse problems, were poor at the time of their
arrest, and needed education, job training, and job connections if they
were to be successful upon release. Similar to national statistics, the
majority were parents of dependent children.
The focus on security surrounding prison visits that was so
visible to me at the big city jail was even more striking at the county
jail. The conditions in the county jail's regular visiting room were,
in effect, harsher, more severe, and rather unusual. Instead of seating
that would allow for quiet conversations, the chairs designated for
visitors were located in rows several feet away and across from those
designated for the prisoners they were visiting. At best, conversations
between prisoners and their visitors were "open mike" since all around
could hear what was being said. At worst, the din of noise created by
the necessity of talking loudly made it nearly impossible to be
understood. Staff explained that the seating arrangement was recent and
was for "security" purposes. It no doubt served that purpose. For me,
however, it was a powerful and poignant reminder of the many humiliating
and humbling aspects involved in maintaining family and friendship ties
during incarceration.
Observations from my most recent tour have been at the forefront of
my thoughts in preparing this introduction. The importance of security
in any correctional setting and the need for family-oriented principles
to help guide decision-making loom large. Such principles would assure
safety and security while also providing for more humane visiting
environments, reasonable telephone rates, and other measures responsive
to parents' and children's needs. I am not certain of specific
strategies to bring about such a cultural shift, but see extensive
involvement of community leaders and organizations concerned with
children and families as critical. Indeed, a roundtable discussion with
colleagues following the tour affirmed the importance of public
education about the issues as we saw them, and community engagement to
help make our system of justice both different and better.
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