From The Vera Institute of Justice:
When Jennifer Love was in prison, talking to loved ones was a lifeline. “It gave me a moment to feel human,” she said. “It meant everything to me.”
Now that she is free, Love helps families who want to connect to their incarcerated loved ones using video call software that is available in a growing number of prisons. Recently, she assisted a family trying to connect a grandmother in hospice with her grandson, who is incarcerated in Texas. “I can’t imagine what she was feeling,” Love said. “It was so important for her to see his face.”
Video calls offer an opportunity for families to maintain and strengthen their ties to each other while under the great strain of separation imposed by incarceration. A 2015 study of state prison visits found that the majority of people in prison are held 100 miles away from their homes. Given this reality, along with the connection between poverty and incarceration, it’s no surprise that families of incarcerated people are often unable to afford transportation to visit their loved ones in person. Video conferencing can provide an option for people who live far away from their incarcerated loved ones and cannot visit them frequently, as well as for those who might not feel comfortable going through prison and jail security searches that are often difficult or degrading. Continue reading >>>
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