The relationship between inmate visitation and behavior: Implications for African American families

The Relationship Between

Inmate Visitation and Behavior: Implications for African American Families

Theresa A. Clark

INTRODUCTION

Behavior of persons incarcerated has become an increasing issue for prisons and a primary focus of government officials in the Commonwealth of Virginia during the past decade. During this time period, the number of prison disturbances has increased (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 1990). The increase in behavior problems not only raises concern about the safety of inmates, correctional personnel, and the community, but also becomes a critical fiscal issue for the commonwealth because of costs associated with daily operations. Behavior problems are of special concern to social workers who work in numerous correctional capacities or to those who have external responsibilities with the families of prisoners. These problems can interfere with the social workers' interventive strategies and empowerment process. As professionals, social workers focus on person-in-environment processes. Whether employed by the prisons or other human service agencies, social workers cannot afford to ignore behavioral implications for the functioning of individual prisoners and their family systems.

The Scope of the Problem

tn a national survey of state prison inmates, the Bureau of Justice Statistics (1990) reported that the majority of male

THERESA A. CLARK, Ph.D. is an assistant professor in the Social Work program at Longwood College in Farmville, Virginia. Address for correspondence: Dr. Theresa A. Clark, Department of Education, Special Ed~Jcation, Social Work and Communication Disorders, Longwood College, 201 High Street, Farmville, VA 23909.

This study investigated the relationship between visitation and inmate behavior utilizing a non-experimental, longitudinal design. A random sampling was used to obtain a sample of 339 male inmates, the majority of whom were African American. The multivariate research question: "What is the relative contribution of

visitation by family and friends on the number of institutional infractions by inmates, while taking into account the effects of other possible

independent variables?"

44 Journal of African American Men

inmates were charged with rule violations at some point during their stay in prison. Rule violators were defined as, "inmates who were formally charged with or written up for breaking prison rules or regulations" (p. 138). The type of behavior exhibited by an inmate, while in prison, is as important to the prison system as it is to the inmate....