Partners Experiences with Barriers to Visitation with Incarcerated Individuals: An Ecological Analysis
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Authors
Bayer, Andrea Lauren
Issue Date
2023
Type
Dissertation
Language
Keywords
ecological model , family visitation , incarceration , partners , prisons
Alternative Title
Abstract
Visitation is important for incarcerated individuals as well as their family members. Existingresearch explores visitation through the perspectives of the incarcerated individual and more recently their children. Minimal research addresses the experiences of partners of incarcerated individuals. Partners experience unique barriers to family visitation as they endeavor to retain connections with incarcerated loved ones. The research in the paper presented used a quantitative study to gain a better understanding of how partners of incarcerated people experience institutional policies, geographic separation, cost, and visitation environment. Participants were recruited from social media sites targeted to partners of incarcerated people. Surveys were used to gain insight into the experiences of partners of incarcerated people and how institutional policies, geographic separation, cost, and visitation environment shape visitation experiences. Barriers to visitation were analyzed using Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological model. The purpose of this research was to gain a better understanding of the experiences of partners attempting to maintain connections with incarcerated loved ones. Given the established benefits of family visitation (Maruna, 2001), this research has the potential to shape future policy decisions.