conjugal visits california rules 2021

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Everything You Should Know About Conjugal Visits in California

May 9, 2024 Written by Jill Harness and Edited by Peter Liss

Conjugal visits are regularly referenced in movies and TV shows ,  but  they  almost seem unreal.  After all, why should people serving time for crimes be allowed to have sex when they’re supposed to be punished? But that’s one of the big misconceptions about what the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation calls “Family Visits.” The official name isn’t just a creative euphemism code for “sex visits” -the real reason the state allows these types of inmate visitation is to provide those behind bars with a way to stay close to their families. “Studies show this kind of visitation program has profound benefits not only to inmates but also to the general public in the form of reduced crime rates and lowered taxes,” explains attorney Peter Liss.

What are Conjugal Visits?

A conjugal visit is where an inmate  has the opportunity to  see their family with some slight level of privacy and intimacy. One of the big misconceptions about these visits is that they are purely designed to allow prisoners to have sex. While that may be how the program started and may be  part  of the experience for married couples, the true purpose of the visits is to allow prisoners the chance to spend time with their families. Notably, in New York, where inmates can visit with extended family members, only 48% of these meetings were with a spouse.

Even when the visit is with a spouse, most inmates say that while the chance to have sex with their partners was  nice , the family visit was more about being intimate with the person they love for anywhere from 30 to 40 hours. Considering that standard prison visits require all conversations to be monitored by guards, and partners are only permitted to kiss at the start and end of the visit, the chance to have private discussions for 24 hours and spend the night in bed together is a welcome change.

The History of Conjugal Visits

Conjugal visits were initially introduced in Mississippi state in the early 1900s. At the time, inmates were essentially just  used as slaves , even physically beaten if they broke the rules or failed to work hard enough.  To provide positive encouragement for those who worked hard and followed the rules , the prison brought prostitutes for the best inmates every Sunday. Eventually, the prison also started allowing prisoners’ wives and girlfriends to visit.

The idea eventually caught on, and over the years, many other states adopted the  idea  of letting wives spend time with their inmate husbands, with over 1/3 of states in the United States eventually enacting some  type of   conjugal  visit program.  Unfortunately, with the push to “get tough on crime” that took place in the 90s, many states got rid of these types of programs, which were seen as “being soft on crime” by giving prisoners “sex visits” when they should be being punished. Nowadays, the only four states that offer conjugal visits are California, Connecticut, New York, and Washington.

Do You Have to be Married for a Conjugal Visit?

“You do not have to be married to qualify for a conjugal visit,” explains Liss, “however, each state offering these programs has a different list of qualifying immediate family members.” Here is how each location defines “immediate family member:”

• In California,  you do not have to be married for a conjugal visit.  You can spend time with any immediate family member, including  include  spouses, registered domestic partners, siblings, children, or parents.
• In New York, visitors can be children, spouses, parents, grandparents, or foster parents/legal guardians. Notably, New York does not seem to include domestic partners and married couples must be legally wed for at least six months to qualify for a conjugal visit.
• In Connecticut, the “extended family visit” must include  a full  family, meaning the inmate’s child must be present and be accompanied by their other parent, legal guardian, or one of the inmate’s parents.
• In Washington, the term “immediate family” is more expanded than  other  states, as it includes children, stepchildren, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, spouses, registered domestic partners, siblings, parents, stepparents, grandparents, great-grandparents, uncles, and aunts of the incarcerated person.

How do Family Visits Work in California?

Inmates who qualify for family visits can spend up to 40 hours in an apartment located on prison grounds with their immediate family members. These apartments are equipped with toiletries, sheets, and condoms.

Prisoners are allowed no more than four visits per year. “Unfortunately, because of the program’s popularity and the limited number of prison apartment spaces,” explains Liss, “I believe prisoners are more likely to be able to participate only twice a year.”

Visiting family members will not be strip-searched, though the prisoner will. While the visit is mostly unsupervised, the area will be searched as often as every four hours.

Visitors must follow many rules , including what they wear. For example, no one can wear blue jeans, and women cannot wear short dresses,  short  skirts, strapless tops, or form-fitting clothing.

Can Lifers Get Conjugal Visits in California?

Not all prisoners are eligible for the program. Anyone on death row, who is serving a life sentence, or who was convicted of a sex offense is ineligible. Additionally, inmates must have a record of good behavior, and anyone on disciplinary restrictions cannot participate. Those eligible must apply through their correctional counselor.

What are the Benefits to Family Visits?

There are many benefits, but the biggest is a  dramatic reduction in recidivism rates . One study in New Mexico (which recently discontinued conjugal visits) showed that prisoners who participated in extended family visits had 70% less chance of ending up in prison than those who did not participate.

Family visits are, therefore, more effective than education in keeping former felons out of prison. “I believe the effectiveness of these programs is logical, considering they help maintain relationships between inmates and their loved ones,” says Liss. “These relationships are critical in helping convicts readjust to life outside prison after release.”

Though many people consider these programs to be a waste of taxpayer money, it’s been shown that every $1 spent on  education in prisons saves taxpayers $5 annually due to the reduced cost of housing prisoners. “Since visits with family members cost less than education programs and are even more effective at reducing crime rates, maintaining these programs is a no-brainer in my opinion,” Liss says.

Reducing recidivism rates is not the only benefit of conjugal visits. By encouraging prisoners to be good to earn time with their loved ones, prisons can reduce violence and dangers to other inmates and guards -which could further reduce the tax rates associated with incarceration. More savings can also be realized because the more prisoners are model citizens, the more likely they are to be eligible for early release programs, where they can enjoy a complete family reunion outside of the prison.

There is also evidence that conjugal visits reduce prison rape . One study found that sexual violence in prison occurred at a rate of 226 per 100,000 prisoners in states without these programs while occurring at a rate of 57 per 100.000 prisoners in states with family visits.

Alternative Sentences are Still Preferable

Of course, being allowed to continue living with your family is better than any conjugal visit. Maintaining your family life is much easier if you prove your innocence or are given an  alternative  sentence  ,  such as probation. “Your choice of criminal lawyer makes such a drastic difference in the outcome of your case,” explains Liss. “If you choose me as your attorney, I can help you fight your charges and secure the best possible outcome for your case.” If you have been accused of any crime, please call  (760) 643-4050  to schedule a free initial consultation at the Vista office of Peter M. Liss.

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Attorney Peter M. Liss, (760) 643-4050 380 S Melrose Drive #301 Vista, CA 92081

Copyright 2003, 2021 Peter M. Liss, Esq. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

About the Legal Information on This Website

I rely on my experience as a top defense lawyer in my area to personally review all information on this site; however the information offered here should not substitute as legal advice. If you have been arrested or charged with a crime in Vista, please contact a qualified defense attorney.

Conjugal Visits For Lifers In California Prisons

Conjugal visits is a controversial topic that raises a lot of questions for many people. If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer: California banned conjugal visits for lifers and all other inmates in 2003.

In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the history of conjugal visits in California prisons, the regulations around them, arguments for and against allowing them, stats and data on their usage, and the ultimate decision to ban them in 2003 under Governor Schwarzenegger.

We will provide details on how conjugal visits worked when they were allowed, the types of inmates who qualified, what exactly happened during the visits, their purpose and perceived benefits vs. drawbacks. We’ll also look at whether there’s any chance of reinstating conjugal visits in CA prisons today.

History of Conjugal Visits in California Prisons

Conjugal visits, also known as family visits, have a long history in the California prison system. These visits allow incarcerated individuals to spend private, extended time with their spouses or registered domestic partners.

Let’s take a look at how conjugal visits came to be, how they worked, and which prisons allowed them.

When Conjugal Visits Started and Why

Conjugal visits were first introduced in California in 1918 as an effort to maintain familial ties and promote positive behavior among prisoners. The idea was that allowing inmates to maintain healthy relationships with their partners could potentially reduce recidivism rates.

Over the years, conjugal visits became an important aspect of the rehabilitation process for long-term incarcerated individuals.

How They Worked – Requirements and Regulations

To qualify for conjugal visits, inmates had to meet certain criteria. They were typically reserved for inmates who had demonstrated good behavior, were not convicted of certain violent offenses, and had a stable relationship with their partner.

During these visits, couples were granted privacy in designated areas within the prison, such as conjugal cottages or trailers.

According to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), the goal of conjugal visits is to “assist inmates in maintaining healthy family relationships, reduce the potential for domestic violence and the risk factors leading to child abuse, and reduce the likelihood of recidivism.

Which Prisons Allowed Them and For Which Inmates

Conjugal visits were not available in all California prisons. Only select facilities offered this privilege, including San Quentin State Prison, California State Prison-Solano, and the California Institution for Women. Additionally, not all inmates were eligible for conjugal visits.

Typically, these visits were reserved for those serving long-term sentences, such as lifers or individuals with sentences of 10 years or more.

Conjugal Cottages/Trailers for Private Family Visits

To provide a comfortable and private space for conjugal visits, the California prison system established conjugal cottages or trailers within the prison grounds. These accommodations were equipped with basic amenities, such as a bed, bathroom, and kitchenette, allowing couples to spend quality time together during their visit.

The CDCR ensured that these living spaces were clean, safe, and maintained the security of the facility.

For more information about the history and regulations surrounding conjugal visits in California prisons, visit the official CDCR website: https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/

Debates Around Conjugal Visits in Prisons

Conjugal visits, also known as family visits, have been a topic of debate in the prison system for many years. This practice allows inmates to spend time with their spouses or domestic partners in a private setting within the correctional facility.

Proponents argue that conjugal visits can have positive effects on the mental health and rehabilitation of prisoners, while opponents question the fairness and safety of such privileges.

Arguments in Favor of Conjugal Visits

Supporters of conjugal visits believe that maintaining family ties is crucial for an inmate’s successful reintegration into society. These visits provide a sense of normalcy and help to preserve the familial bond.

Research has shown that strong family connections can reduce recidivism rates, as prisoners are more likely to have a support system upon their release. Additionally, conjugal visits can promote healthy relationships and reduce the likelihood of infidelity.

Advocates also argue that conjugal visits have psychological benefits for both the inmate and their partner. These visits allow for physical intimacy, which is an essential part of any romantic relationship.

They provide a space for emotional connection and can alleviate feelings of isolation and loneliness experienced by inmates. Furthermore, proponents claim that the opportunity to have intimate contact with loved ones can help to reduce tension and aggression within the prison population.

Arguments Against Allowing Conjugal Visits

Opponents of conjugal visits raise concerns about the safety and security risks associated with this practice. They argue that allowing inmates to have private time with their partners can create opportunities for smuggling contraband, such as drugs or weapons, into the correctional facility.

Additionally, there is a fear that prisoners may use these visits to intimidate or harm their partners or manipulate them for personal gain.

Another argument against conjugal visits is the issue of fairness. Critics contend that not all prisoners have the privilege of participating in conjugal visits, as eligibility criteria vary across different states and facilities.

This raises questions about the equal treatment of inmates and can lead to feelings of resentment and unrest within the prison population.

Recidivism Rates – Do They Lower Reoffending?

The impact of conjugal visits on recidivism rates has been a topic of much debate. While some studies suggest that maintaining strong family ties through conjugal visits can lower reoffending rates, others argue that the effect is negligible.

It is important to note that recidivism is influenced by various factors, including access to employment, education, and support services, in addition to family connections. Therefore, conjugal visits alone may not be the sole determining factor in reducing reoffending.

For more information on this topic, you can visit the Bureau of Justice Statistics or the National Criminal Justice Reference Service .

The End of Conjugal Visits in California

Conjugal visits, also known as family visits, were once a part of the prison system in California. However, these visits have been banned since 1996. The decision to ban conjugal visits was made due to a variety of reasons, including concerns over safety, security, and the potential for illegal activities to take place during these visits.

When and Why They Were Banned

The ban on conjugal visits in California prisons was implemented in 1996. The main reason behind this decision was the increasing concerns over the safety and security of the prison system. It was believed that allowing inmates to have intimate visits with their partners or spouses could lead to various problems, such as the smuggling of contraband or the facilitation of illegal activities.

Additionally, there were concerns about the potential for violence or sexual assault during these visits. The prison authorities wanted to ensure the safety of both the inmates and their visitors, and believed that banning conjugal visits would help achieve this goal.

Stats on Usage Rates in the Years Before 2003

Before the ban was implemented, conjugal visits were a relatively common occurrence in California prisons. According to statistics from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, in the year 2000, there were approximately 20,000 conjugal visits that took place in the state’s prison system.

This number gradually decreased in the following years, with around 13,000 visits in 2001 and 10,000 visits in 2002.

These statistics indicate that conjugal visits were quite popular among inmates and their families prior to the ban. However, it is important to note that these numbers only represent the visits that were officially recorded, and the actual usage rates may have been higher.

Reactions to the Ban from Prisoners, Families, Unions

The ban on conjugal visits in California prisons was met with mixed reactions from prisoners, their families, and unions representing prison staff. Some prisoners and their families were disappointed by the decision, as conjugal visits provided an opportunity for inmates to maintain a connection with their loved ones and work towards rebuilding their relationships.

On the other hand, some prison staff unions supported the ban, citing concerns over safety and security. They argued that allowing intimate visits could compromise the overall safety of the prison environment and put both staff and inmates at risk.

Possibility of Bringing Back Conjugal Visits Today

Efforts to reinstate conjugal visits.

Conjugal visits, also known as family visits, have been a topic of debate in the prison system for decades. These visits allow inmates to spend private time with their spouses or domestic partners in a designated area within the prison.

While the practice was once common in many states, including California, it has gradually been phased out in recent years.

Despite the decline in conjugal visits, there have been efforts to reinstate them in California prisons. Advocates argue that conjugal visits can have positive effects on the mental health and rehabilitation of inmates.

They believe that maintaining a connection with loved ones can provide motivation for prisoners to behave well and work towards their release.

Some studies have indicated that conjugal visits can reduce recidivism rates by strengthening family bonds and promoting successful reintegration into society. These findings have fueled the push to bring back conjugal visits in California.

Furthermore, proponents of conjugal visits argue that they can provide a healthy outlet for sexual expression within the confines of the prison. They believe that allowing inmates to engage in consensual sexual activity with their partners can contribute to a more stable and harmonious prison environment.

Why It’s Unlikely to Happen Anytime Soon

Despite the arguments in favor of conjugal visits, it is unlikely that they will be reinstated in California prisons anytime soon. Several factors contribute to this outcome.

Firstly, the cost of implementing and maintaining conjugal visit programs is a significant barrier. Prisons already face budget constraints, and allocating resources for conjugal visits may not be seen as a priority.

Secondly, concerns around security and safety play a crucial role in the decision-making process. Critics argue that allowing private contact between inmates and their partners can create opportunities for smuggling contraband or engaging in illicit activities.

These concerns outweigh the potential benefits for many prison officials.

Additionally, public opinion and political will also influence the possibility of bringing back conjugal visits. The perception that inmates are being rewarded with intimate visits while serving their sentences can be a source of controversy and backlash.

In summary, conjugal visits for lifers and all inmates were once allowed in California prisons starting in the 1960s. They were seen as a way to help inmates maintain family ties and provide incentives for good behavior. However, they were controversial and banned in 2003 due to costs, concerns over security and appropriate use of taxpayer dollars. The debates around conjugal visits continue today, but there seems little chance California will reinstate them given the current political climate.

Hi there, I'm Jessica, the solo traveler behind the travel blog Eye & Pen. I launched my site in 2020 to share over a decade of adventurous stories and vivid photography from my expeditions across 30+ countries. When I'm not wandering, you can find me freelance writing from my home base in Denver, hiking Colorado's peaks with my rescue pup Belle, or enjoying local craft beers with friends.

I specialize in budget tips, unique lodging spotlights, road trip routes, travel hacking guides, and female solo travel for publications like Travel+Leisure and Matador Network. Through my photography and writing, I hope to immerse readers in new cultures and compelling destinations not found in most guidebooks. I'd love for you to join me on my lifelong journey of visual storytelling!

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Legal Services for Prisoners with Children

Building a Movement, Not Just Another Non-Profit

Current AB 990 Status:

On September 8, 2021, AB 990 gained final approval from the California Legislature and went to the Governor's desk for his signature.

AB 990 would:

• restore the right to visiting in California law
• allow restrictions on visiting only as necessary and narrowly tailored to legitimate security interests
• prevent CDCR from denying or restricting visits as a disciplinary sanction for non-visiting violations
• prevent CDCR from denying visiting applications because the applicant made mistakes or omissions in listing their prior law enforcement contacts on the visiting application
• prevent CDCR from denying or restricting visits because of the visitor's or the incarcerated person's law enforcement history except as otherwise provided by law

The governor's office has let us know that he will veto the bill, but has also said they will work with us next year on a renewed bill. We aren't sure what that means, but we will be pushing for active engagement from the governor's office on a new bill that is very similar to AB 990 (with some language changes we would like to make), which we expect to be introduced no later than January. The new bill will have a new bill number, which we will share with you once we know what it is.

In the meantime, to learn more about AB 990, go to bit.ly/AboutAB990 To join the fight to increase visiting rights in California prisons, join the Coalition for Family Unity at bit.ly/JoinCFU . To contact the CFU, email [email protected] .

Support the 2021 Family Unity Bill:

Ab 990 (bonta).

Preserving Family Bonds During Incarceration

The 2021 Family Unity Bill recognizes that frequent contact through visits and phone calls preserves family bonds during incarceration , providing family structure for the children and spouses left behind, supporting the mental health of the incarcerated, and reducing recidivism after incarcerated people reenter our communities.

In 2009, the California Legislature passed Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 20 , which encouraged the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) to use the San Francisco Children of Incarcerated Parents Partnership (SFCIPP) Bill of Rights ( en español ) as a framework for providing services to children of incarcerated parents. The rights include the right to a lifelong relationship with their incarcerated parents, and the right to speak with, see, and touch their parents.

Watch our April 8, 2021 webinar, Parenting Beyond Bars with Chesa Boudin.

San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin urged the Legislature to pass AB 990: "I am honored to have the responsibility of promoting public safety and I am begging you to sign this bill, to vote yes on this bill, to make it law because it will make all of us safer. It will build safety. It will break the intergenerational cycle of incarceration. It will prevent trauma, and it will build community safety through family integrity and unity in ways that we all know – if we have benefited from love from a parent – we know how critical that is and we know that that prevents future crimes. So please join us. Please join this movement that respects children and that respects families. And let’s lead the country in showing that we respect children and we uplift them and we want to heal and hold and love them. We can do it in California. Sign this law!"

Watch the Feb. 18, 2021 Town Hall on Keeping Families Connected During Incarceration and our bill, AB 990.

Watch the recording on the Coalition for Family Unity Facebook page here. or on Assemblymember Rob Bonta's Facebook page here .

Leave a comment showing support for the bill with the hashtags: #SupportAB990 #KeepFamiliesConnected #VisitsIsaRight"

But there are many barriers to maintaining family bonds during incarceration.

• Visits are treated as a privilege rather than a right and can be denied for disciplinary reasons unrelated to visiting or for simple mistakes on paperwork.

• Family members can be excluded based on arrest or conviction histories unrelated to visiting security, which further divides families who live in communities that are heavily policed and impacted by mass incarceration.

• Visits can be very expensive and time-consuming, as many people in California are incarcerated hundreds of miles from their homes.

• After taking the long, costly trip to visit a loved one, visitors often face long waiting times that use up limited visiting hours, or are turned away or removed for petty reasons such as wearing a V-neck shirt, having inadequate documentation, or holding hands too long.

• Screening process can be disrespectful and intimidating to children, such as contraband searches of minors and strip searches of women by correctional staff.

• Family members of loved ones who get seriously sick in custody, including those who have died of COVID, often receive no notice or opportunity to call or visit.

• Phone and video calling access is limited and has historically been grossly overpriced. While CDCR recently took steps to increase such access and reduce costs, those gains need to be guaranteed by law with a commitment that they supplement rather than supplant in-person visiting.

The 2021 Family Unity Bill as amended will:

• Restore the right to receive personal visits to the Prisoners’ Bill of Rights (Penal Code 2600-2601) and strengthen the legal standard for enforcement of the right

• Prohibit denying visits for these reasons: ➝ Discipline against the incarcerated person unrelated to visiting ➝ Omissions or inaccuracies on a visiting application if the information is disclosed on a criminal background report. ➝ A visitor’s or incarcerated person’s criminal history unrelated to visiting

Our long-term goals for visiting include: (same size font as "The 2021 Family Unity Bill as amended will:"

• Restore the right to receive personal visits to the Prisoners’ Bill of Rights (Penal Code 2600-2601) and strengthen the legal standard for enforcing that right • Establish a right to visit incarcerated people that can be denied only for serious abuse of visiting access, inadequate identification, or lack of consent by the incarcerated person • Specifically prohibit denying visits for these reasons: ➝ Discipline against the incarcerated person unrelated to visiting ➝ An incarcerated person’s restricted housing status ➝ Omissions or inaccuracies on a visiting application if the information is disclosed on a criminal background report. ➝ A visitor’s or incarcerated person’s criminal history unrelated to visiting • Make visits and phone and video calls available every day from 8 am to 8 pm free of charge. • Provide tablets or cellphones to all incarcerated people and allow calls to approved visitors and callers and legal information sources. • Provide for emergency calls and visits to incarcerated people who become seriously ill. • Whenever in-persons visits cannot be provided due to a public health emergency or natural disaster, guarantee that video calls will be provided free of charge. • Make screening procedures more respectful: ➝ Provide for screening of minors by social workers ➝ Provide for strip searches by medical staff ➝ Ensure property searches are conducted in the presence of the visitor • Make visiting more predictable and less likely to be terminated or cancelled: ➝ Prevent guards from enforcing rules not included in prison regulations ➝ Limit the reasons a visit can be terminated to lack of government identification or documentation unless waived; wearing clothes used by guards or incarcerated people; wearing sexually revealing clothing; disrupting visits or engaging in excessive touching or sexual conduct; and refusing to comply with lawful search. ➝ Prohibit visits from being terminated for holding hands, letting children sit on laps, or touching backs or hair. ➝ Prohibit cancellations of visits for computer maintenance, sting operations ➝ Provide accommodations and add visiting hours if visits are cancelled without prior notice. • Make visiting rules enforceable ➝ Contract with a community based organization to provide visitor and caller liaisons during visiting and video calling hours to enforce visiting rights ➝ Contract with a community based organization to appoint people to a visitor and caller review committee to review denials of visitor and caller applications ➝ Provide for judicial review of noncompliance with visiting rules • Provide transportation assistance to family members when incarcerated people are located in distant facilities.

Authors and Sponsors

2021 Family Unity Bill Introduced by: Former Assemblymember and current Attorney General Rob Bonta 2021 Family Unity Bill Author: Assemblymember Miguel Santiago (D-53)

2021 Family Unity Bill Co-Authors: Senator Sydney Kamlager (D-30) Senator Nancy Skinner (D-9) Assemblymember Ash Kalra (D-27) Assemblymember Alex Lee (D-25) Assemblymember Bill Quirk (D-20) Assemblymember Mark Stone (D-29)

2021 Family Unity Bill Sponsors: Coalition for Family Unity A New Way of Life All of Us or None The Bail Project California Families Against Solitary Confinement (CFASC) California’s Impacted Families Project Community Works Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice (CURYJ) Drop LWOP East Bay Family Defenders Fathers & Families of San Joaquin Felony Murder Elimination Project Families United to End LWOP (FUEL) Legal Services for Prisoners with Children Place4Grace Prison From-TheInside-Out Inc. Root & Rebound Starting Over, Inc.

Controversy and Conjugal Visits

Conjugal visits were first allowed as incentives for the forced labor of incarcerated Black men, the practice expanding from there. Is human touch a right?

“The words ‘conjugal visit’ seem to have a dirty ring to them for a lot of people,” a man named John Stefanisko wrote for The Bridge, a quarterly at the Connecticut Correctional Institution at Somers, in December 1963 . This observation marked the beginning of a long campaign—far longer, perhaps, than the men at Somers could have anticipated—for conjugal visits in the state of Connecticut, a policy that would grant many incarcerated men the privilege of having sex with their wives. Conjugal visits, the editors of The Bridge wrote, are “a controversial issue, now quite in the spotlight,” thanks to their implementation at Parchman Farm in Mississippi in 1965. But the urgency of the mens’ plea, as chronicled in The Bridge and the Somers Weekly Scene , gives voice to the depth of their deprivation. “Perhaps we’re whistling in the wind,” they wrote, “but if the truth hits home to only a few, we’ll be satisfied.”

The men at Somers wrote of conjugal visits as something new, but in fact, Parchman had adopted some version of the practice as early as 1918. Parchman, then a lucrative penal plantation , sought to incentivize Black prisoners, who picked and hoed cotton under the surveillance of armed white guards, by allowing them to bring women into their camp. The visits were unofficial, and stories from the decades that followed are varied, ranging from trysts between married couples to tales of sex workers, bussed in on weekends. The men built structures for these visits out of scrap lumber painted red, and the term “ red houses ” remained in use long after the original structures were gone. The policy was mostly limited to Black prisoners because white administrators believed that Black men had stronger sexual urges then white men, and could be made more pliable when those urges were satisfied.

This history set a precedent for conjugal visits as a policy of social control, shaped by prevailing ideas about race, sexual orientation, and gender. Prisoners embraced conjugal visits, and sometimes, the political reasonings behind them, but the writings of the men at Somers suggest a greater longing. Their desire for intimacy, privacy and, most basic of all, touch, reveals the profound lack of human contact in prison, including but also greater than sex itself.

Scholar Elizabeth Harvey paraphrases Aristotle, who described the flesh as the “medium of the tangible,” establishing one’s “sentient border with the world.” Touch is unique among the senses in that it is “dispersed throughout the body” and allows us to experience many sensations at once. Through touch we understand that we are alive. To touch an object is to know that we are separate from that object, but in touching another person, we are able to “form and express bonds” with one another. In this context, Harvey cites the French philosopher Maurice Merleau-Ponty, who described all touch as an exchange. “To touch is also always to be touched,” she writes.

When Parchman officially sanctioned conjugal visits in 1965 after the policy was unofficially in place for years, administrators saw it as an incentive for obedience, but also a solution to what was sometimes called the “ Sex Problem ,” a euphemism for prison rape . Criminologists of the era viewed rape in prison as a symptom of the larger “ problem of homosexuality ,” arguing that the physical deprivations of prison turned men into sexual deviants—i.e., men who wanted to have sex with other men. In this context, conjugal visits were meant to remind men of their natural roles, not merely as practitioners of “ normal sexuality ,” but as husbands. (Framing prison rape as a problem of ‘homosexuals’ was commonplace until Wilbert Rideau’s Angolite exposé Prison: The Sexual Jungle revealed the predation for what it was in 1979.)

Officials at Parchman, the sociologist Columbus B. Hopper wrote in 1962 , “consistently praise the conjugal visit as a highly important factor in reducing homosexuality, boosting inmate morale, and… comprising an important factor in preserving marriages.” Thus making the visits, by definition, conjugal, a word so widely associated with sex and prison that one can forget it simply refers to marriage. Men—and at the time, conjugal visits were only available to men—had to be legally married to be eligible for the program.

But for the men at Somers, the best argument for conjugal visitation was obvious—with one telling detail. The privacy afforded by the red houses at Parchman, Richard Brisson wrote “preserve some dignity to the affair,” creating “a feeling of being a part of a regular community rather than … participating in something that could be made to appear unclean.” For lovers secluded in bedrooms, “[t]here is no one about to mock them or to embarrass them,” he wrote. This observation suggests the ubiquity of surveillance in prison, as well as its character.

Carceral institutions are intended to operate at a bureaucratic remove; prisoners are referred to by number and were counted as “ bodies .” Guards must act as ambivalent custodians of these bodies, even when the nature of their job can be quite intimate. Prisoners are routinely strip-searched and frisked; they must ask permission to exercise any movement, to perform any bodily function. This is as true today as it was in Somers, where men frequently complained that they were treated like children. “You are constantly supervised, just as if you were a one-year-old child,” Ray Bosworth wrote in 1970 .

But guards are not parents, and the tension between dutiful ambivalence and intimate supervision often manifests as disgust. On a recent visit to Bedford Hills Correctional Facility, a maximum-security women’s prison in upstate New York, prisoners complained of being ridiculed during strip searches, and hearing guards discussing their bodies in the corridors.

This attitude extends to rules regulating touch between prisoners and visitors. Writing about San Quentin State Prison in California in the early 2000s, the ethnographer Megan L. Comfort described a common hierarchy of visits , each with its own allowable “degree of bodily contact.” Death Row cage visits allowed for hugs in greeting and parting, while a contact visit allowed for a hug and a kiss. The nature of the kiss, however, was subject to the discretion of individual guards. “We are allowed to kiss members of our families, hello and goodbye, but the amount of affection we may show is limited by the guard,” James Abney wrote for the Somers Weekly Scene in 1971.  “If he feels, for instance that a man is kissing his wife too much or too passionately, then he may be reprimanded for it or the visit may be ended on the spot.”

When Somers held its first “ Operation Dialogue ,” a “mediated discussion” among prisoners and staff in May 1971, conjugal visits were a primary concern. By then, California (under Governor Ronald Reagan) had embraced the policy—why hadn’t Connecticut? Administrators argued that furloughs, the practice of allowing prisoners to go home for up to several days, were a preferable alternative. This certainly would seem to be the case. In August 1971, the Scene quoted Connecticut Correction Commissioner John R. Manson, who criticized the skeezy, “tar-paper shacks” at Parchman, concluding that furloughs were “ a less artificial way for inmates to maintain ties with their families .” But to be eligible for furloughs, men were required to be within three or four months of completing their sentence. In the wake of George H.W. Bush’s infamous “ Willie Horton ” campaign ad in 1988, a racially-charged ad meant to stoke fear and anti-Black prejudice in which a violent attack was blamed on Liberal soft-on-crime policies (specifically scapegoating Michael Dukakis for a crime committed on a prison furlough that predated his tenure as governor), prison furloughs were mostly abolished. They remain rare today, still looming in the shadow of the Horton ad.

Conjugal visits are considered a rehabilitative program because, as Abney wrote, it is in “society’s best interest to make sure that [a prisoner’s] family remains intact for him to return to.” Unspoken is the disregard for people serving long sentences, or life, making conjugal visits unavailable to those who might need them the most.

The campaign for conjugal visits continued throughout the 1970s. Then, in 1980, in a sudden and “major policy reversal ,” the state of Connecticut announced that it would instate a “conjugal and family visit” program at several prisons, including Somers. Subsequent issues of the Scene outline the myriad rules for application, noting that applicants could be denied for a variety of reasons at the discretion of prison administrators.

The earliest conjugal visits at Somers lasted overnight but were less than 24 hours in total. Men could have multiple visitors, as long as they were members of his immediate family. This change signaled a new emphasis on domesticity over sex. Visits took place in trailers equipped with kitchens, where families cooked their own meals. Describing a similar set-up at San Quentin more than two decades later, Comfort wrote that the trailers were meant to encourage “people to simulate an ordinary living situation rather than fixate on a hurried physical congress.”

By the early 1990s, conjugal visitation, in some form, was official policy in 17 states. But a massive ideological shift in the way society viewed incarcerated people was already underway. In a seminal 1974 study called “What Works?”, sociologist Robert Martinson concluded that rehabilitation programs in prison “ had no appreciable effect on recidivism .” Thinkers on the left saw this as an argument for decarceration—perhaps these programs were ineffective because of the nature of prison itself. Thinkers on the right, and society more broadly, took a different view. As (ironically) the Washington Post observed, the findings were presented in “lengthy stories appearing in major newspapers, news magazines and journals, often under the headline, ‘ Nothing Works! ’”

Martinson’s work gave an air of scientific legitimacy to the growing “tough-on-crime” movement, but the former Freedom Rider, who once spent 40 days at Parchman, spawned punitive policies he couldn’t have predicted. In 1979, Martinson officially recanted his position. He died by suicide the following year.

In Mistretta v. United States (1989), the court ruled that a person’s demonstrated capacity for rehabilitation should not be a factor in federal sentencing guidelines because, they wrote, studies had proved that rehabilitation was “an unattainable goal for most cases.” It effectively enshrined “nothing works” into law.

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“Nothing works” gave rise to harsher sentencing, and more punitive policies in prisons themselves. In 1996, the state of California drastically reduced its conjugal visitation program . At San Quentin, this meant conjugal visits would no longer be available for people serving life sentences. To have benefitted from the program, and then have it taken away, was a particular blow to prisoners and partners alike. One woman told Comfort that she was in “mourning,” saying: “To me, I felt that it was like a death. ”

We don’t know how the men at Somers might have felt about this new era, or the heyday of conjugal visits that came before it. There are no issues of the Weekly Scene available after 1981 in the American Prison Newspapers collection, which is just after the visits began. But their writing, particularly their poetry, offers some insight into the deprivation that spurred their request. In 1968, James N. Teel writes, “Tell me please, do you ever cry, / have you ever tried to live while your insides die? ” While Frank Guiso , in 1970, said his existence was only an “illusion.” “I love and I don’t, / I hate and I don’t / I sing and I don’t / I live and I don’t,” he writes. But for others, disillusionment and loneliness take a specific shape.

“I wish you could always be close to me,” Luis A. Perez wrote in a poem called “ The Wait ” 1974:

I will hold your strong hand in my hand, As I stare in your eyes across the table. Trying to think of the best things to say, I then notice how I will not be able. I will long for your tender embraces, For your long and most desirable kiss. As I sleep cold for warmth of your body, You my love, are the one I will miss…

Today, only four states—California, Connecticut, Washington and New York—allow conjugal visits. (Mississippi, where Parchman is located, ended conjugal visitation in 2014 .) Some argue that Connecticut’s Extended Family Visit (EFV) program, as it is now called, doesn’t actually count , because it requires a prisoner’s child to be there along with another adult . There is also some suggestion that Connecticut’s program, while still officially on the books, has not been operational for some time.

The COVID-19 pandemic gave further cause to limit contact between prisoners and visitors, engendering changes that don’t appear to be going away anytime soon.

Somers was reorganized as a medium-security facility and renamed the Osborn Correctional Institution in 1994. A recent notice on the facility’s visitation website reads: “​​Masks must be worn at all times. A brief embrace will be permitted at the end of the visit .”

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In‑Person Visiting Frequently Asked Questions

Reopening in-person visiting program faqs.

Beginning Saturday, July 7, 2023, institutions statewide will move to three days of in-person weekend visiting.

Weekend video visiting will no longer be offered at any adult institution as of July 7, 2023. Conservation camps will continue hybrid video visiting and in-person on Saturdays and Sundays as they do not have three days of visiting. 

In-person visiting will be offered every Friday, Saturday and Sunday at all adult institutions and will continue to be scheduled online through the Department’s Visitation Scheduling Application (VSA). Camp visits are scheduled through email or phone.

CDCR will continue to provide ways to communicate with friends and family through tablets and phone calls . Incarcerated people with tablets are eligible for 15 minutes of free video calls from their tablet every two weeks. Audio calls made from standard institution wall phones and tablets are always free of charge.

Additionally, the Department offers free bus transportation to and from all adult institutions in partnership with TransMETRO. Any approved visitor may use this service. See our TransMetro Bus Service page to learn more and register for a ride.  

Visiting status is determined by the department’s Roadmap to Reopening. The plan is a phased and tailored approach anchored in guidelines and guidance from public health and health care experts. Wardens and healthcare CEOs at each institution will determine the visiting status for each facility within the institution, based on the number of active cases, the time in between active and resolved cases, and other factors based on health and safety.

CDCR will offer in-person visiting at each institution using the phased and tailored approach outlined in the Roadmap to Reopening . Any institutions in the “Open Phase” of the roadmap will be permitted to conduct in-person visiting.

Family visiting will resume in the “Open Phase” of the Roadmap to Reopening.

Friends and family should regularly check the Facility Visiting Status page for updates on the status of in-person visiting at each institution.

All CDCR institutions in “Open Phase”, as outlined in the department’s Roadmap to Reopening , are scheduling extended overnight family visits. Visitors and their incarcerated loved one is permitted to spend approximately 46 consecutive hours in the family visiting units.

Beginning Feb. 1, 2023, those participating in visiting, including family visiting, will no longer be required to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination status or a COVID-19 test. All visitors must continue to self-screen negative for COVID-19 symptoms on the day of the visit.  

Additionally, face coverings are no longer required for visitors, but encouraged. The Department will make masks available to those who wish to wear one during a visit.  

Residents in medical isolation will not be eligible for in-person or video visiting.  If staff observe residents or visitors displaying symptoms consistent with a contagious disease, the visit may be terminated.  

This program allows an eligible incarcerated person to visit with as many as five approved family members. Only immediate family members that are approved visitors, including domestic partners, are authorized for family visits. There are no age restrictions for prospective visitors. The number of visits allowed is determined by each institution.

To schedule a family visit, an incarcerated person must request to schedule a Family Visit with the Family Visiting Coordinator.  The Family Visiting Coordinator at the institution will provide the necessary paperwork for the incarcerated person to complete, as well as a packet for them to send to their approved visitors to complete. Once all paperwork is complete and a visit is scheduled, the Family Visiting Coordinator will assist in arranging meals and other details. Depending upon the institution, family visits may be offered on the weekend, during the week, or both. Incarcerated persons and their families must pay for meals; all other accommodations are provided at no cost.

Each institution compiles a waitlist for family visit requests, prior waitlists are no longer in effect. Availability of visits, and turnaround time between approval and visit, varies with each institution.

Family visits occur in private, apartment-like facilities on prison grounds and last approximately 46 consecutive hours. The following individuals are excluded from family visits: Incarcerated persons on Death Row, any incarcerated person with convictions for sex offenses, anyone in the Reception Centers process, or anyone under disciplinary restrictions. Family visits are restricted to immediate family members (parents, children, siblings, legal spouses, registered domestic partners, or who have a bona fide and verified foster relationship) of the incarcerated person. Family visits are further restricted by availability. An eligible incarcerated person must put in an application for a family visit with their assigned correctional counselor at the prison. Further inquiries about family visiting should be directed by the incarcerated person to their counselor or by the family to the respective institution visiting staff.

Residents in medical isolation will not be eligible for in-person or video visiting.  

If staff observe residents or visitors displaying symptoms consistent with a contagious disease, the visit may be terminated.  

Those participating in visiting, including family visiting, will no longer be required to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination status or a COVID-19 test. All visitors must continue to self-screen negative for COVID-19 symptoms on the day of the visit.  

All incarcerated people residing in a facility in “OPEN” phase of the Roadmap to Reopening are now eligible for in-person visitation, regardless of vaccination status.

Approved visitors must use the Visitation Scheduling Application (VSA) to schedule in-person and video visits. VSA is easy to use and gives users instant confirmation of their request. Only those individuals who have already been  approved as a visitor  may make an appointment at institutions.

Visitors will need to schedule visits at the time designated for the institution in which their loved one is housed. Start times will be separated by region: Northern, Central and Southern.

Northern Region

The VSA request period will open from 6 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. for the following institutions in the Northern region:

• California Correctional Center
• Central California Women’s Facility
• California Health Care Facility
• California Medical Facility
• California State Prison – Sacramento
• California State Prison – Solano
• Folsom State Prison
• High Desert State Prison
• Mule Creek State Prison
• Pelican Bay State Prison
• Sierra Conservation Center
• San Quentin State Prison
• Valley State Prison

Central Region

The VSA request period will open from 6:30 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. for the following institutions in the Central region:

• Avenal State Prison
• California Correctional Institution
• California Men’s Colony
• California State Prison – Corcoran
• Correctional Training Facility
• Kern Valley State Prison
• North Kern State Prison
• Pleasant Valley State Prison
• Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and State Prison – Corcoran
• Salinas Valley State Prison
• Wasco State Prison

Southern Region

The VSA request period will open from 7 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. for the following institutions in the Central region:

• California City Correctional Facility
• Calipatria State Prison
• Centinela State Prison
• California Institution for Men
• California Institution for Women
• California Rehabilitation Center
• California State Prison – Los Angeles County
• Chuckawalla Valley State Prison
• Ironwood State Prison
• Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility

The request period begins eight days prior to the visitation day and closes five days prior to the visitation day. See table below for examples:

In-person visits at California Health Care Facility-Stockton (CHCF) may be made beginning Saturday at 8 a.m. through Monday at 8 a.m. on the week of the proposed visit by emailing the institution directly at [email protected] or through the Visitation Scheduling Application (VSA). Please see the Facility Status Page for CHCF-specific visiting instructions. 

For example, a prospective visitor may email for an in-person visiting reservation starting Saturday, May 6 through Monday, May 8 for a visit to take place on Friday May 12 or Saturday May 13. 

Video visits will continue to take place on Sunday’s at CHCF until they cease on July 7, 2023. Requests for a video visit must be made using the Visitation Scheduling Application (VSA). 

When trying to claim your account, you may get the following error:

“Cannot claim account as the names and date you entered matched more than one record.”

You are getting this error message because you have more than one CDCR Visitor ID in CDCR’s system.  CDCR will need to correct this before you can claim your account.

After getting this error message, please call the institution’s visiting staff and let them know that you are receiving an error message and unable to claim an account. Please be prepared to share the following information with visiting staff:

• The first and last name of visitor
• Visitor ID (if known)
• First and last name of inmate you wish to visit
• CDCR number of the incarcerated person you would like to visit

Only CDCR staff can correct this account problem. Please do not contact GTL’s Support Desk.

There are no limits to the amount of visits a visitor may schedule; however, incarcerated persons are only allowed one in-person or video visit visit per day.

All visiting will be determined based on availability and health and safety considerations.

Each incarcerated person will be allowed an in-person visit from minors (the age of 18 and under) once the institution they wish to visit has reached “Open Phase” of the Roadmap to Reopening.

Children under the age of two are now permitted to visit – they are not required to wear a face mask, but must screen negative for COVID symptoms the day of visit.

Persons scheduled for an in-person visit should plan to arrive at least one hour prior to their scheduled visit time.

The duration of an in-person visit varies on the individual needs of the institution, including availability and demand. In-person visits are offered at a minimum of two hours. Please see the Facility Visiting Status page for information specific to the institution you wish to visit.

All visiting will be determined based on health and safety considerations as outlined in the Roadmap to Reopening .

No. Personal gloves, hand sanitizer and hand sanitizer wipes are not permitted inside the institution during visiting. Visitors may wear their own mask prior to entering the grounds of the institution; however, when a mask is required or desired for a visit, CDCR staff will provide one.

CDCR has updated masking requirements for all in-person visitors. The following guidance is effective immediately:

• For indoor, in-person visits where the entire facility is in the OPEN Phase of the Roadmap to Reopening AND Center for Disease Control (CDC) county transmissibility rates are low: Procedure mask optional but encouraged, regardless of vaccination status.
• For indoor, in-person visits where one or more housing units is in the OUTBREAK Phase of the Roadmap to Reopening AND/OR CDC County Transmissibility is MEDIUM OR HIGH: Procedure mask will be required for all visitors above the age of two, regardless of vaccination status.
• Masks are optional while outdoors.

CDCR’s Roadmap to Reopening: https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/covid19/reopening/

CDCR is expanding allowable physical contact during visiting. Effective immediately:

• At the beginning and end of each visit, incarcerated persons and their visitor(s) may briefly embrace and kiss.

• Incarcerated persons and their visitors may hold hands during the visit.

• An incarcerated person may hold minor children accompanying visitor.

If a visitor does not appear for their scheduled appointment, they may reschedule for another time if visiting appointments are available.

There are several reasons an incarcerated person may be unable to make it to their scheduled visit, including disciplinary issues, a positive COVID test, or a medical quarantine. Individuals on quarantine may not participate in visiting. It is the responsibility of the incarcerated person to communicate to their loved ones if they are not able to visit. Please also check the Facility Visiting Status page frequently for the phase status of each institution and institution-specific contact information.

Walk-in visits are currently being allowed at most institutions.

All incarcerated people residing in a facility in “OPEN” phase of the Roadmap to Reopening are now eligible for walk-in visits, regardless of vaccination status.

Incarcerated people in isolation are not eligible for in-person visiting.

Please check the Facility Visiting Status page for institution-specific information and also continue to check the visiting website for updates.

Vending machine items will be available when an institution reaches “Open Phase” of the Roadmap to Reopening.

Until an institution reaches this phase, each visitor and incarcerated person will be offered a bottle of water while visiting. The bottles must be discarded prior to leaving the visiting room.

Yes. All tables, chairs, doorknobs, counters and other high-touch areas will be cleaned and disinfected in between visits.

In-person marriage ceremonies may be scheduled and facilitated at adult institutions in “Open Phase” of the  Roadmap to Reopening . Each institution has its own protocols for marriages; please contact your institution for details. Ceremonies will be limited to three approved visitors:

• The visitor to be married
• The ceremony officiant (if not provided by the institution)
• One civilian witness

The process for requesting and completing a marriage packet has not changed. The incarcerated person must request the marriage packet from their counselor. Prior wedding waitlists will be honored. For more information,  contact the institution  in which your loved one is housed.

An in-person ceremony may be cancelled at any time due to health and safety reasons. When this status changes, a request may be submitted to the Marriage Coordinator to reschedule.

A visitor may visit only one incarcerated person on the same yard at a time.

The Photo Ducat Program will resume at institutions in “Open Phase” of the Roadmap to Reopening.

To accommodate the limited visiting schedule, all visits will begin at the scheduled appointment time, with no exceptions. CDCR’s comprehensive guidelines for visiting, including dress code, are available here . 

Yes, but using the restroom during visiting will not stop the visiting appointment time. The duration of the visit will begin and end at the scheduled appointment time.

Most Friends Outside visitor centers are offering services. Please see the Friends Outside website for additional information.

Transportation vehicles have reduced their capacity to at least 75 percent to allow for adequate physical distancing. Masks will be required during the entire transport. Visitors to facilities that require a shuttle should plan for an earlier arrival.

Beginning Saturday, July 7, 2023, institutions statewide will move to three days of in-person weekend visiting. Weekend video visiting will no longer be offered at any adult institution as of that date.

Conservation camps will continue hybrid video visiting and in-person on Saturdays and Sundays as they do not have three days of visiting. Camp visits are scheduled through email or phone as detailed on the Scheduling Visits at Conservation (Fire) Camps page.   

Camps in “Open Phase” of the Roadmap to Reopening will offer in-person visiting sessions of any length between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. to no more than five approved visitors per incarcerated person. 

Please note: Because fire crew member(s) can be activated on short notice, visitors should call and/or email the camp directly for updates before traveling. 

CDCR believes visitation is important to build and maintain family ties and aid in rehabilitation.  In Fiscal Year 2021-2022 the state Legislature approved $20.3 million to expand in-person visiting to three days. While CDCR has since used that funding to provide three days of a hybrid of both in-person and video visiting options. This change move honors our commitment to provide three days of in-person visiting.  

All visiting will be in-person only and weekend video visiting will no longer be available beginning Thursday, July 7, 2023, at all CDCR institutions.

Conservation camps will continue hybrid video visiting and in-person on Saturdays and Sundays as they do not have three days of visiting.

In-person visiting will be offered every Friday, Saturday and Sunday at all adult institutions and will continue to be scheduled online through the Department’s Visitation Scheduling Application (VSA). Walk-in visits will also be permitted on these days. Conservation camps will continue hybrid video visiting and in-person on Saturdays and Sundays, scheduled through email or phone.

In addition to in-person visiting, there are several other ways for incarcerated people to communicate with their loved ones. 

Incarcerated people are eligible for 15 minutes of free video calls from their tablet every two weeks. Audio calls made from standard institution wall phones and tablets are always free of charge

Individuals are also free to contact any incarcerated person by mail . 

As part of our commitment to increase access to in-person visiting for incarcerated people and their loved ones, we’ve partnered with TransMETRO to provide free bus transportation to all CDCR adult institutions in California. Anyone who has been approved as a visitor by CDCR is able to ride TransMETRO.  

Buses depart Friday, Saturday and/or Sunday from Central, Southern, Northern, and Bay Area regions. Each region schedules service to all institutions on a rotating basis. All trips are subject to change based on demand and health and safety factors. Visit our website for full program information and to register for services.   

Due to the fluid situation of the COVID-19 pandemic, visiting may be subject to suspension without advance notice. Visitors should check the Visitation Information webpage, and Visiting Facility Status Page regularly for updates and information.

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) and California Correctional Health Care Services (CCHCS), value the health and safety of all staff, incarcerated people, and visitors.

CDCR and CCHCS have a Heat Illness Prevention Plan set in place at each institution and are taking the following steps to ensure everyone participating in an in-person visit stays safe during an extreme heatwave: 

• Visiting staff will ensure there is sufficient shade in areas where visitors wait for shuttles or processing. Water stations will be added where possible. 
• Visiting staff will closely monitor the temperature of visiting areas, which are controlled by air conditioning, fans, and/or other portable cooling units. When necessary, institutions will utilize additional portable cooling units to bring the temperature to a suitable level.  
• Staff will observe visitors and incarcerated people for signs of heat-related illnesses. Visitors and incarcerated people are advised to alert staff if they are feeling unwell. 
• Those participating in a Family Visit will be monitored to ensure they have enough water and that family visiting units are at a safe temperature.   
• Visitors are encouraged to stay hydrated throughout the day and drink water often, not just when thirsty. CDCR is ensuring all vending machines in visiting areas are fully stocked with cool beverages, especially water and Gatorade. 
• During a heatwave, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends wearing light, looser-fitting clothing. However, there will be no exceptions to CDCR’s existing proper attire policies. Most notably, the following attire will not be permitted: strapless, halter, bare midriff, sheer/transparent clothing, skirts, dresses, or shorts that expose more than two inches above the knee.  

Please note: Institution administrators may suspend visiting operations at any time based on safety, security, health and resources.  

View the CDCR/CCHCS extreme heat safety plan on our website.

Tips on how to stay safe during times of extreme heat:  https://bit.ly/3RtosYF

In instances of severe weather conditions (example: heavy rain, high winds) , CDCR urges those traveling to our institutions to plan ahead for a safe trip.  

Before heading to an institution for an in-person visit, download the QuickMap app or visit the  QuickMap website  for up-to-the-minute information on road conditions, traffic, closures, chain control, and more. 

If an institution must cancel visiting due to weather, those with an appointment will receive a notice through the Visitation Scheduling Application (VSA). If you plan on participating in a walk-in visit, please contact the institution beforehand. Visiting staff contact information:  https://bit.ly/3X2Vi5Z   

The severe weather may also result in unexpected power outages and/or internet disruptions in parts of the state. 

If you have followed all the steps to make your appointment and still require assistance, please contact the Visiting Sergeant at the institution you would like to visit.

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• 11 Min Read
• 15th April 2016

Conjugal Visits: Rules and History

The phrase is well known in popular culture – conjugal visits means private alone time with a significant other while in prison. We all understand the connotation of conjugal visits, but allow me to spell it out. Yes, inmates are permitted to engage in sexual relations with their spouse during conjugal visits . However, many times these visitations are not used for intimacy at all. A lot of prisoners who earn this right choose to have family members come to see them, in an effort to remain close with those who matter most. In New York, 52 percent of these visits did not involve spouses.

Where Are Conjugal Visits Allowed?

States That Allow Conjugal Visits

As recently as 1995, 17 states had conjugal visit programs, although federal prisons never allowed it.

Today, only four states still allow conjugal visits:  California, Connecticut, New York and Washington. 

New Mexico and Mississippi cancelled their programs within the past two years.

How Did the Conjugal Visit Program Start?

Parchman Farm

The very first prison to allow conjugal visits was  Parchman Farm (now  Mississippi State Penitentiary ).  Parchman farm began as a labor prison camp for black men in Mississippi which was a blatant attempt to keep slavery alive 50 years after the end of the Civil War.

Prison authorities believed that if black men were allowed to have sexual intercourse, they would be more productive. 

They also believed that black men had stronger sex drives. Therefore, every weekend, women would be driven in by the bus load to fraternize with the prisoners. There was no state control or legal status, the visits were simply thought to encourage surviving a six day work week of harsh labor and conditions, not to mention racist guards.

Over the years, conjugal visits evolved to spending more time with family. Even the aforementioned Parchman Farm had cleaned up the act by the 1960s; visits were sanctioned, furlough programs had begun, and cabins were built so inmates could spend time alone with their significant other. The prison would even provide toys for the family.

Following their model, conjugal visit programs saw a steady and fast rise in use. It was touted as a model of rehabilitation after a reporter paid a visit to Parchman Farm and declared it, “the wave of the future.”

Conjugal Visit Rules

Good behavior is an obvious requirement for earning family and conjugal visitation rights, but there’s a bit more to it than that. For the most part, the rules surrounding family visits are the same; they must be in medium security or lower prisons, and they must not have been convicted of sexual assault . However, each state has their own protocol for selecting which inmates have earned the privilege of family visitation:

• Connecticut : Inmates cannot be level 4 or above in close custody (levels are on a scale of 1-5 and refers to how much they are monitored by guards on a day-to-day basis). They cannot be a member of a gang, be on restrictive status, or class A or class B disciplinary offenses within the past 12 months prior to requesting involvement. The spouse cannot come alone ; other eligible family members must participate.
• New York : This state and California are the only ones that allow visitation for same-sex couples. Proof of marriage must also exist. Here are the guidelines for New York’s Extended Family Visit Program .
• California : Inmates and visiting family members are subject to a search every four hours . See: California Extended Family Visit guidelines. 
• Washington : There are a long list of requirements that inmates and visitors alike must meet before being allowed to participate in the visitation program. There are a slew of disallowed crimes, along with minimum time served, active participation in a reentry program, and housing status rules to qualify. If there are two family members in the same prison, joint visits can be arranged pending approval.

The length of the visit varies from six hours to an entire weekend, which is determined by the supervisor of the prison on a case by case basis. And just as there are eligibility requirements for prisoners, the same can be said for those who wish to visit them. Apart from the verification of the relationship, visitors must also be free of crime.

• If a family member other than a spouse, such as brother or sister, wishes to visit, it will be scrutinized closely.
• If a child is participating, a birth certificate showing that the inmate is their biological father is required.
• If the inmate is a step-father, he must have been present during the child’s formative years (ages 7-12). There must also be consent from the child’s legal guardian.
• The visitor cannot be on parole, or subject to criminal drug charges.

On top of these requirements is a good deal of paperwork which needs to be filled out. With all of the supervision and background checks, it would be extremely difficult for anything sinister to happen. To inmates and their family, visitation is purely about spending time with the one’s they love. So why are so many states stopping it?

Why Have Visitation Programs Been Discontinued?

As previously stated, there were 17 states with visitation programs 20 short years ago; today there are only four. The reasons for this have varied slightly, one of which being public opinion. People just don’t think criminals should have access to anything, much less time with family members. Some even get upset when they learn inmates have access to health care . Most of these people probably fail to realize that those convicted of violent crimes are not allowed to participate in family visitation programs.

Another reason is claims of contraband being snuck in and babies being conceived during these visits. But no numbers are given to back up these claims, and they appear unfounded at best as a result. The Corrections Commissioner for Mississippi even stated that they provide inmates with contraception during their visits. While there are no numbers to back up these claims, they try to use others to convince everyone that it’s too expensive.

The main reason widely given is budget cuts. That was the fallback for Mississippi and New Mexico when they cancelled their programs. In New Mexico, the program cost $120,000 a year . Their 2016 budget totals $6.2 billion . The cost of keeping the program active amounts to less than one-five hundredth of one percent of the state budget. The median household income in New Mexico is $43,782, which means that, divided evenly amongst the average taxpayer, everyone would only contribute about two cents each to a family visitation program. Yet somehow, the benefits don’t outweigh the cost.

Why Should Visitation Programs Continue?

At a rate of approximately $32,000 per year for each inmate, it’s been well documented how much it costs to keep someone in prison. Overcrowding is also a huge problem, which has many causes. But where family visitation comes into the picture is its documented ability to reduce recidivism, which show that 76 percent of those released from state prisons are arrested again within five years. Initial studies have found that visitation programs are responsible for lowering parole violations by 25 percent , but it could be higher than that according to an older study, which suggests recidivism was decreased by 67 percent because of visitation programs.

Conjugal and family visits also reduce occurrences of sexual violence in prisons by 75 percent .

This is a number too large to ignore, because the snowball effect here is that it also drastically lowers the rate of sexually transmitted diseases between prisoners. Then there is evidence that is hard to quantify. Prison guards have stated that prisoners who have access to visitation are generally happier, and are encouraged to keep up their good behavior in order to keep earning visitation privileges, or perhaps even early release. This is why prisons in the four states that still allow it have changed the name from “conjugal visits” to “family visits.” There is more to it than just intimacy; there is connection that these families are trying to maintain. If the prisoner is able to interact with the person or people for whom he will be responsible upon release, it will only motivate them to work harder to never put them through it again.

Lifers in state of California eligible for conjugal visits as well? due gov. Jerry brown recent signed off?

To Phavy do we know what disqualifies a lifer from getting conjugal visits besides being a sex offender and/or domestic violence. I have my husband in a state prison in CA and he has been in prison for 20 years but we needed to find out what qualifies him or disqualifies him from getting visits. Please advise, thank you in advance

The program is allowed for those who have a release date. Unfortunately it is not available for inmates serving life sentences.

If the offender has two non-sexual violent felony strikes in Ca but he has a release date and the visitor was a co defendant on an old case, can the offender get conjugal visits with the visitor if they get married?

Very great article! As much as I advocate conjugal visitation, early justifications are shocking to me. I still hope that in future, the trend will go back to the use of extended visits in more than just 4 states. It also does not appear too expensive, particular since some prisons even charge visitors a fee per night.

Do lifers get conjugal visits if they are in prison for non violence on woman???

It would depend on where they are sentenced and what exactly the offense is, along with how they have conducted themselves while in prison.

I pray they go back to the old way,, but with different intentions I have a question my husband was convicted of corporal punishment on a spouse does he qualify for conjugal visit yes he has a release date

Is there any way a state like FL could reconsider “family visits” I mean my boys miss their father and he was only sentenced 10 years. I was thinking of a petition but I doubt people will view it how you and I do. Just being able to watch a movie together and hang out like we use to would mean so much I can wait for sex but the joy it brings to my boys is much more fulfilling. I mean it’s so backed up in FL they could be making more money if they charged family visits.

Marilyn Wiggins

Amber I will sign a petition if it’s started. The sanctity of family is important.

karen lea pollard-mills

I WOULD SIGN A PETITION ALSO! LETS START ONE NATIONWIDE! NOT JUST FOR EACH STATE!

I believe this would be great. Even if there was a price tag many people would pay it. That would help lower the cost of prisons.

Does anyone know what prisons in New York allow conjugal visits?

In the post, there is a link to the guidelines for New York’s Extended family visit program. Click it to see all the guidelines and how to apply for them. Good luck.

Leslie L Miller

My husband is serving life without! He was convicted at 19, you know they are taking every form of human contact away from human beings and expecting them to just lay down be good and wither away slowly! Why? My husband is now 37, he is not the same person he was , we have been married 12 years together 15, never consummated our marriage! To some of us it’s a religious right if only one time! Changes need to be made in our system! It’s broken if we don’t rethink alot of things all we are going to create is detached MONSTERS, with no concept of real feelings or emotions!

I couldn’t agree more! The love of my life is serving life w/o parole and was 19 also. He’s served 15 years now and has changed, grown up and matured. Have you read about the science that states teens are not fully matured until their mid 20’s and should not be given life w/o parole at such a young age? 11 men were released on this science and more states need to follow suit and parole those who have changed and matured and will not repeat their mistakes! They deserve a 2nd chance. There is a video on this called second chance kids also! Good Luck with your husband!

Jacquelyne Garza

What year where the conjugal visits taken away in California, I think it was 1994 or 1995 or 1996 which one was it ??? Please tell me.

The article plainly states that CA is one of the remaining states allowing such visitation. I’ve also seen them taking place on MSNBC’s Lock Up.

Will inmates who have prior rules violations for drug smuggling into the prison be permitted conjugal visits?

does anyone know the list of things you can take into your conjugal visit?

Go to the prison website

So inmates who have life without the possibility of parole can’t have conjugal visits at all? My guy has been transferred to a level 3 prison now. Does that mean anything?

lizy vicent

I believe anybody that owns 100% of your heart is worth fighting for. Yes, I am boasting because I never adhered to some negative advice from my parents when I was about getting married. There was a war between our two family then my husband was his mothers puppy, his family members used him a lot that he cant make any decision without consulting them. What surprised me most was the moment a 36-year-old man seeks his parent and some family members consent before dating anyone, the worst happened when he was instructed to bring me along to their country home in Rampart, New Orleans, it was risky to accept such invitation.The war between our families started when he finally proposed (that was about 4 years ago), his family gave some conditions if he must wife me (we have to live with them), I was in shock when my husband accepted and was happy with their conditions (so crazy). My family wagged and demanded I should breakup with him immediately.I decided to give him the last shot as a man whom has already taken over 100% of my heart, I took a risk to go spiritual with them by consulting Priest Udene via [email protected] , I dont know how but the spiritual father already knew I was going to consult him. He first of all told me the danger I was into and how my husband has been enslaved since birth, how they keep brain washing him to do their wills.Like the quote that says a person sees clearly only with the heart, I realized that nobody saw what I saw in my husband and thats why I used the help of PRIEST UDENE to put him out of his misery. His eyes where opened by PRIEST UDENE for the first time, his family fell in love with me and granted every of our request, our families have known peace since after the love spell.It is over 2 years after the love spell and my husband has continued to improve every day without interference from his family. I have waited too long to share this amazing piece. Thanks for your time and also to PRIEST UDENE. I knew him through reading some amazing testimonies on blogs.

Tracey Duffy

Are the visits during the weekend or weekdays, usually?

Patricia Monteiro

Me and my fuance plan to marry soon. He is serving a 15 to life sentence and has been in nearly 4 years now. He does not have a release date. He is single celled in a level 4 prison. He has a history of violence. Will he be eligible for conjucal visits upon marriage ?

does patton state hospital allow family visits?

mariah clifton

hi…me and boyfriend are trying to get married in the california state prison but he has a prior domestic abuse charge on him from years ago with his babymomma does that stop us from conjugal visits once we are married?

jackie larbi

Thank god that we do not allow this to happen in are prisons.

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Conjugal Visit Laws by State 2024

California refers to these visits as contact visits. Conjugal visits have had a notorious past recently in the United States , as they were often not allowed to see their family unless it was for brief contact or to speak with them on the phone. Conjugal visits began as a way for an incarcerated partner to spend private time with their domestic partner, spouse, or life partner. Historically, these were granted as a result of mental health as well as some rights that have since been argued in court. For example, cases have gone to the Supreme Court which have been filed as visits being considered privileges instead of rights.

The right to procreate, religious freedom, marital privacy and to abstain from cruel and unusual punishment has been brought up and observed by the court. Of course, married spouses can't procreate if one is incarcerated, and this has been a topic of hot debate in the legal community for years. Although the rules have since been relaxed to allow more private time with one's family, especially to incentivize good behavior and rehabilitation, it is still a controversy within social parameters.

In 1993, only 17 states had conjugal visit programs, which went down to 6 in 2000. By 2015, almost all states had eliminated the need for these programs in favor of more progressive values. California was one of the first to create a program based around contact visits, which allows the inmate time with their family instead of "private time" with their spouses as a means of forced love or procreation.

Washington and Connecticut

Connecticut and Washington have similar programs within their prison systems, referring to conjugal visits as extended family visits. Of course, the focus has been to take the stigma away from conjugal visits as a means of procreation, a short time, and a privilege as a result of good behavior. Extended family visits are much more wholesome and inclusive, giving relatively ample time to connect with one's family, regardless if they have a partner or not. Inmates can see their children, parents, cousins, or anyone who is deemed to have been, and still is, close to the prisoner.

Of course, there are proponents of this system that say this aids rehabilitation in favor of being good role models for their children or younger siblings. Others feel if someone has committed a heinous crime, their rights should be fully stripped away to severely punish their behavior.

On a cheerier note, New York has named its program the "family reunion program", which is an apt name for the state that holds the largest city in America by volume, New York City. NYC's finest have always had their handful of many different issues, including organized crime. The authorities are seeking a larger change in the incarceration system and want to adopt a stance that focuses more on the rehabilitation of the inmate that shows signs of regret, instead of severe punishment for punishment's sake.

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How Do Conjugal Visits Work?

Maintaining close ties with loved ones while doing time can increase the chances of a successful reentry program. Although several studies back this conclusion, it’s widely logical.

While the conjugal visits concept sounds commendable, there’s an increasing call to scrap the scheme, particularly across US states. This campaign has frustrated many states out of the program, leaving only a handful. Back in 1993, 17 US states recognized conjugal visits. Today, in 2020, only four do.

The conjugal visit was first practiced in Mississippi. The state, then, brought in prostitutes for inmates. The program continued until 2014. The scrap provoked massive protests from different right groups and prisoners’ families. The protesters sought a continuance of the program, which they said had so far helped sustain family bonds and inmate’s general attitude to life-after-jail.

New Mexico, the last to scrap the concept, did so after a convicted murderer impregnated four different women in prison. If these visits look as cool as many theories postulate, why the anti-conjugal-visit campaigns in countries like the US?

This article provides an in-depth guide on how conjugal visits work, states that allow conjugal visits, its historical background, arguments for and against the scheme, and what a conjugal visit entails in reality.

What Is a Conjugal Visit?

A conjugal visit is a popular practice that allows inmates to spend time alone with their loved one(s), particularly a significant other, while incarcerated. By implication, and candidly, conjugal visits afford prisoners an opportunity to, among other things, engage their significant other sexually.

However, in actual content, such visits go beyond just sex. Most eligible prisoners do not even consider intimacy during such visits. In many cases, it’s all about ‘hosting’ family members and sustaining family bonds while they serve time. In fact, in some jurisdictions, New York, for example, spouses are not involved in more than half of such visits. But how did it all start?

History of Conjugal Visits

Conjugal visits origin dates back to the early 20 th century, in the then Parchman Farm – presently, Mississippi State Penitentiary. Back then, ‘qualified’ male prisoners were allowed to enjoy intimacy with prostitutes, primarily as a reward for hard work.

While underperforming prisoners were beaten, the well-behaved were rewarded in different forms, including a sex worker’s company. On their off-days, Sunday, a vehicle-load of women were brought into the facility and offered to the best behaved. The policy was soon reviewed, substituting prostitutes for inmates’ wives or girlfriends, as they wished.

The handwork-for-sex concept recorded tremendous success, and over time, about a quarter of the entire US states had introduced the practice. In no time, many other countries copied the initiative for their prisons.

Although the United States is gradually phasing out conjugal visits, the practice still holds in many countries. In Canada, for instance, “extended family visits” – a newly branded phrase for conjugal visits – permits prisoners up to 72 hours alone with their loved ones, once in few months. Close family ties and, in a few cases, friends are allowed to time alone with a prisoner. Items, like foods, used during the visit are provided by the visitors or the host – the inmate.

Over to Asia, Saudi Arabia is, arguably, one of the most generous countries when it comes to conjugal visits. Over there, inmates are allowed intimacy once monthly. Convicts with multiple wives get access to all their wives – one wife, monthly. Even more, the government foots traveling experiences for the visitors.

Conjugal visits do not exist in Great Britain. However, in some instances, prisoners incarcerated for a long period may qualify to embark on a ‘family leave’ for a short duration. This is applicable mainly for inmates whose records suggest a low risk of committing crimes outside the facility.

This practice is designed to reconnect the inmates to the real world outside the prison walls before their release . Inmates leverage on this privilege not just to reconnect with friends and family, but to also search for jobs , accommodation, and more, setting the pace for their reintegration.

Back to US history, the family visit initiative soon began to decline from around the ’80s. Now, conjugal visits only exist in California, New York, Connecticut, and Washington.

Is the Increasing Cancellation Justifiable?

The conjugal visit initiative cancellation, despite promising results, was reportedly tied around public opinion. Around the ’90s, increasing pressure mounted against the practice.

One of the arguments was that convicts are sent to jail as a punishment, not for pleasure. They fail to understand that certain convictions – such as convictions for violent crimes – do not qualify for conjugal visit programs.

The anti-conjugal visit campaigners claim the practice encouraged an increase in babies fathered by inmates. There are, however, no data to substantiate such claims. Besides, inmates are usually given free contraceptives during the family visits.

Another widely touted justification, which seems the strongest, is the high running cost. Until New Mexico recently scraped the conjugal visit scheme, they had spent an average of approximately $120,000 annually. While this may sound like a lot, what then can we say of the approximately $35,540 spent annually on each inmate in federal facilities?

If the total cost of running the state’s conjugal visit program was but equivalent to the cost of keeping three inmates behind bars, then, perhaps, the scrap had some political undertones, not entirely running cost, as purported.

Besides, an old study on the population of New York’s inmates postulates that prisoners who kept ties with loved ones were about 70 percent less likely – compared to their counterparts who had no such privilege – to become repeat offenders within three years after release.

Conjugal Visit State-by-State Rules

The activities surrounding conjugal visits are widely similar across jurisdictions. That said, the different states have individual requirements for family visitation:

California: If you’re visiting a loved one in a correctional facility in California, among other rules , be ready for a once-in-four-hours search.

Connecticut : To qualify, prisoners must not be below level 4 in close custody. Close custody levels – usually on a 1-to-5 scale – measures the extent to which correctional officers monitor inmates’ day-to-day activities.

Also, inmates should not be on restriction, must not be a gang member, and must have no records of disciplinary offenses in Classes A or B in the past year. Besides, spouse-only visits are prohibited; an eligible member of the family must be involved.

New York : Unlike Connecticut and Washington, New York’s conjugal visit rules –  as with California’s – allow same-sex partners, however, not without marriage proof.

Washington : Washington is comparatively strict about her conjugal visit requirements . It enlists several crimes as basis for disqualifying inmates from enjoying such privileges. Besides, inmates must proof active involvement in a reintegration/rehabilitation scheme and must have served a minimum time, among others, to qualify. 

However, the rule allows joint visits, where two relatives are in the same facility. Visit duration varies widely – between six hours to three days. The prison supervisor calls the shots on a case-to-case basis.

As with inmates, their visitors also have their share of eligibility requirements to satisfy for an extended family visit. For instance, visitors with pending criminal records may not qualify.

As complicated as the requirements seem, it can even get a bit more complex. For instance, there is usually a great deal of paperwork, background checks, and close supervision. Understandably, these are but to guide against anything implicating. Touchingly, the prisoners’ quests are simple. They only want to reconnect with those who give them happiness, love, and, importantly, hope for a good life outside the bars.

Conjugal Visits: A Typical Experience

Perhaps you’ve watched pretty similar practices in movies. But it’s entirely a different ball game in the real world. Besides that movies make the romantic visits seem like a trend presently, those in-prison sex scenes are not exactly what it is in reality.

How, then, does it work there? As mentioned, jurisdictions that still allow “extended family visits” may not grant the same to the following:

• Persons with questionable “prison behavior”
• Sex crime-related convicts
• Domestic violence convicts
• Convicts with a life sentence

Depending on the state, the visit duration lasts from one hour to up to 72 hours. Such visits can happen as frequently as once monthly, once a couple of months, or once in a year. The ‘meetings’ happen in small apartments, trailers, and related facilities designed specifically for the program.

In Connecticut, for example, the MacDougall-Walker correctional facility features structures designed to mimic typical home designs. For instance, the apartments each feature a living room with games, television, and DVD player. Over at Washington, only G-rated videos, that’s one considered suitable for general viewers, are allowed for family view in the conjugal facilities.

The kitchens are usually in good shape, and they permit both fresh and pre-cooked items. During an extended family visit in California, prisoners and their visitors are inspected at four-hour intervals, both night and day, till the visit ends.

Before the program was scrapped in New Mexico, correctional institutions filed-in inmates, and their visitors went through a thorough search. Following a stripped search, inmates were compelled to take a urine drug/alcohol test.

Better Understanding Conjugal Visits

Conjugal visits are designed to keep family ties.

New York’s term for the scheme – Family Reunion Program (FRP) – seems to explain its purpose better. For emphasis, the “R” means reunion, not reproduction, as the movies make it seem.

While sexual activities may be partly allowed, it’s primarily meant to bring a semblance of a typical family setting to inmates. Besides reunion, such schemes are designed to act as incentives to encourage inmates to be on their best behavior and comply with prison regulations.

Don’t Expect So Much Comf ort

As mentioned, an extended family visit happens in specially constructed cabins, trailers, or apartments. Too often, these spaces are half-occupied with supplies like soap, linens, condoms, etc. Such accommodations usually feature two bedrooms and a living room with basic games. While these provisions try to mimic a typical home, you shouldn’t expect so much comfort, and of course, remember your cell room is just across your entrance door.

Inmates Are Strip-Searched

Typically, prisoners are stripped in and out and often tested for drugs . In New York, for example, inmates who come out dirty on alcohol and drug tests get banned from the conjugal visit scheme for a year. While visitors are not stripped, they go through a metal detector.

Inmates Do Not Have All-time Privacy

The prison personnel carries out routine checks, during which everyone in the room comes out for count and search. Again, the officer may obstruct the visit when they need to administer medications as necessary.

Conjugal Visits FAQ

Are conjugal visits allowed in the federal prison system?

No, currently, extended family visits are recognized in only four states across the United States –  Washington, New York, Connecticut, and California.

What are the eligibility criteria?

First, conjugal visits are only allowed in a medium or lesser-security correctional facility. While each state has unique rules, commonly, inmates apply for such visits. Prisoners with recent records of reoccurring infractions like swearing and fighting may be ineligible.

To qualify, inmates must undergo and pass screenings, as deemed appropriate by the prison authority. Again, for instance, California rules say only legally married prisoners’ requests are granted.

Are gay partners allowed for conjugal visits?

Yes, but it varies across states. California and New York allow same-sex partners on conjugal visits. However, couples must have proof of legal marriage.

Are conjugal visits only done in the US?

No, although the practice began in the US, Mississippi precisely, other countries have adopted similar practices. Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, and Canada, for example, are more lenient about extended family visits.

Brazil and Venezuela’s prison facilities, for example, allow weekly ‘rendezvous.’ In Columbia, such ‘visits’ are a routine, where as many as 3,500 women troop in weekly for intimacy with their spouses. However, Northern Ireland and Britain are entirely against any form of conjugal programs. Although Germany allows extended family visits, the protocols became unbearably tight after an inmate killed his supposed spouse during one of such visits in 2010.

Benefits of Conjugal Visits

Once a normal aspect of the prison system, conjugal visits and the moments that prisoners have with their families are now an indulgence to only a few prisoners in the system. Many prison officials cite huge costs and no indications of reduced recidivism rates among reasons for its prohibition.

Documentations , on the other hand, say conjugal visits dramatically curb recidivism and sexual assaults in prisons. As mentioned earlier, only four states allow conjugal visits. However, research shows that these social calls could prove beneficial to correctional services.

A review by social scientists at the Florida International University in 2012 concludes that conjugal visits have several advantages. One of such reveals that prisons that allowed conjugal visits had lower rape cases and sexual assaults than those where conjugal visits were proscribed. They deduced that sex crime in the prison system is a means of sexual gratification and not a crime of power. To reduce these offenses, they advocated for conjugal visitation across state systems.

Secondly, they determined that these visits serve as a means of continuity for couples with a spouse is in prison. Conjugal visits can strengthen family ties and improve marriage functionality since it helps to maintain the intimacy between husband and wife.

Also, it helps to induce positive attitudes in the inmates, aid the rehabilitation process, and enable the prisoner to function appropriately when reintroduced back to society. Similarly, they add that since it encourages the one-person-one partner practice, it’ll help decrease the spread of HIV. These FIU researchers recommend that more states should allow conjugal visits.

Another study by Yale students in 2012 corroborated the findings of the FIU researchers, and the research suggests that conjugal visits decrease sexual violence in prisons and induces ethical conduct in inmates who desire to spend time with their families.

Expectedly, those allowed to enjoy extended family visits are a lot happier. Besides, they tend to maintain the best behaviors within the facility so that they don’t ruin their chances of the next meeting.

Also, according to experts, visitations can drop the rate of repeat prisoners, thus making the prison system cost-effective for state administrators. An academic with the UCLA explained that if prisoners continue to keep in touch with their families, they live daily with the knowledge that life exists outside the prison walls, and they can look forward to it. Therefore, these family ties keep them in line with society’s laws. It can be viewed as a law-breaking deterrence initiative.

For emphasis, conjugal visits, better termed extended family visits, are more than for sex, as it seems. It’s about maintaining family ties, primarily. The fact is, away from the movies, spouse-alone visits are surprisingly low, if at all allowed by most states’ regulations. Extended family visits create healthy relationships between prisoners and the world outside the bars. It builds a healthy start-point for an effective reentry process, helping inmates feel hope for a good life outside jail .

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