Managing Barriers to Visitation Together: Prisoners’ Families Active in Support Groups

Although extensive research documents the causes and impacts of incarceration, its effects on families remain underexplored. Prison visitation can help maintain social bonds during incarceration; however, distinct barriers and restrictive policies often negatively affect visitors. This qualitative study examines how family members navigate and manage barriers to visitation through their involvement in support groups. Approximately 100 h of participant observation were conducted at monthly Citizens for Prison Reform (CPR) meetings, related groups, and events in one Midwestern U.S. state. Interviews with 31 family members were also conducted to explore their participation in support groups. Findings reveal three themes that participants described as ways in which support group membership helped address barriers to visitation: informational support, emotional support, and advocating for (policy) change. These were facilitated by the various advantages and disadvantages that come with membership (normalization, learning strategies, motivation, and emotional burnout). Findings also demonstrate that prisoners’ families can be a vital source of knowledge and information for correctional departments and other criminal justice stakeholders, yet they continue to remain unrecognized and thus underutilized. The importance of correctional systems listening to prisoners’ family members and forming working relationships with them is discussed, along with policy suggestions that promote family connectedness.