In the past ten years, tele-visiting has become popular within correctional systems. Tele-visiting allows for children to video visit with their incarcerated parent using video conferencing equipment (similar to Skype). In New York, nearly 62 percent of women and 51 percent of men have children under the age of 18, and often they have more than one child. Sixty-four percent of women and 46 percent
of men lived with their children before incarceration. Tele-visiting is being used to supplement, not replace, contact or face-to-face visits. It is a way for family members, especially children, to “visit” more often with an incarcerated loved one, mostly because of the distance between home and prison but also because of the time and cost of visiting a remote prison. It is well established that prison visitation is important. Both researchers and prison officials have long known about the benefits of visitation programs. In fact, decades of research indicate that visits from family improve institutional behavior and lower the likelihood of recidivism. A Vision for Tele-visiting will provide an avenue for children to “visit” with their incarcerated parents on a regular basis, ameliorating some of the socioeconomic pressures physical visits may place on the caregiver and child. The program will provide the logistical, emotional, and wraparound support that will enable families to maintain meaningful relationships during a parent’s incarceration and prepare for a successful reentry into family and community life.
