Corrections_Today_July_August_2021_Vol.83_No.4

Correctional Chaplain Perspectives

project, go to www.4thpurpose.org/ visitation2/) The year-long 2020-2021 pan- demic has informed our work in other ways. The importance of human connection is now a normal topic of discussion in every pocket of the world. We want to capitalize on that cultural conversation and share what research demonstrates con- cerning the importance and impact of social and family connection on recidivism. The research behind family connections Encouraging family connection during incarceration was already on the forefront of our minds at 4 th Purpose even before COVID-19 shut down all visitation. In 2016, nearly half of state prisoners (47%) and more than half of federal prisoners (58%) were parents of at least one minor child. 1 More than 2.7 million children in the United States have a parent incarcerated in jail or prison and approximately 10 million children have experienced parental incarceration at some point in their lives. Parental incarceration is currently recognized as an “ad- verse childhood experience” (ACE) being distinguished from other ACEs by the unique combination of trauma, shame, and stigma. 2 Those experiencing childhood trauma and scoring four or more on the 10 ques- tion ACE survey are 20 times more likely to be incarcerated at some point in their lives. 3 For inmates with children, research demonstrates increased family contact and emotional con- nection improves the well-being of the child and the parent. Research

also suggests the strength of the parent-child bond and the quality of the child and family’s social support system play significant roles in the child’s ability to overcome future challenges in life. Positive family connections such as visits and calls have also demonstrated a posi- tive effect on inmate behavior and even recidivism rates. 4 A landmark study by the Minnesota Depart- ment of Corrections, evaluating over 16,000 released inmates, reported Positive family connections such as visits and calls have also demonstrated a positive effect on inmate behavior and even recidivism rates. that even one visit reduced the risk of recidivism by 13% for felony reconvictions and 25% for techni- cal violation revocation. 5 To benefit from this research, 4 th Purpose works with prison administrators to review policies and visitation areas to make sure best practices are being utilized in order for prisons to be as family- visitation-friendly as possible. Many facilities increased digital access for visitation during the COVID-19 shutdown. For those family members

for which distance and financial constraints limited visitation anyway, the use of technology was greatly appreciated. Going forward, even after the major adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have subsided, we hope to see a continuation of digital resources to augment in- person visitation. Pro-social connections of the volunteer force The value of family visits, how- ever, do not help the approximately 40% of inmates who will not receive any visits during their incarceration. 6 Matthew Charles, one of the first to be released from federal prison as a result of the First Step Act, was recently interviewed for a Visita- tion 2.0 episode. In that interview, he stated he did not receive a single visit his entire 21 years of incarcera- tion. He also stated the volunteers became his family, and he greatly looked forward to their weekly visits. Furthermore, research demonstrates volunteer visits, that is, visits from community volunteers who do not have a familial or social tie to the in- mate, reduced the risk of recidivism by 31%. 7 The presence of volunteers has been greatly missed in the prisons and jails the past year of COVID-19. The pandemic crisis fur- ther demonstrated what we already knew — our volunteers are extreme- ly valuable in the lives of individuals in our prison facilities! Correctional chaplain’s role Chaplains are usually the gate- keeper for a prison’s volunteer force. A chaplain typically conducts the mandatory volunteer trainings and approves the volunteer activities. →

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