‘No one told me anything’: Wrong information making prison visits harder

A lack of reliable information and stringent rules are making the already potentially traumatic experience of visiting a loved one in prison even harder.

Accessing information about visiting someone in prison is largely unreliable and untrustworthy, compounding an already very difficult process, a new report has found.

The La Trobe University study, published in Psychiatry, Psychology and Law and led by Dr Nicole Ryan, involved about 250 participants completing an online survey and in-depth interviews with more than 20 participants.

The study found that most people visiting someone in prison found it extremely difficult to find information about how to organise this, the rules about the process and about what to wear and appropriate behaviour in the prison.

The researchers said there is a need for better supports for people visiting loved ones in prison and more in-depth and accurate information about this process.

“Considering how important it is for visits to occur, it is vital that we ensure the probability of prisoners being visited is not being jeopardised by how visiting information is being provided to potential visitors,” Dr Ryan said.

People interviewed for the study described being prevented from visiting someone in prison due to technicalities around rules guiding what clothes can be worn.

“I looked online but I still got in trouble for dress code…lace on the back of my shirt,” one person interviewed for the study said.

“I had to change into this old smelly shirt to go in or my visit was to be cancelled…this was my first visit and I had driven over four hours to get there.”

Others described major difficulties in accessing clear information about prison visitation online, and more success with unofficial sources.

“I was a mess because no one told me anything and I could not get anything out of anyone,” one interviewee said.

“The department’s website was not very clear. There was no information about him needing to put me on the approved visitor list and that I would not be approved until he did this.

“I was getting very frustrated with what was taking so long for my approval to come through and no one was giving me the information I needed. Each time I spoke to someone I was getting different information, and different information from the website.”

Many said a phone line provided by the state government to give information on prison visits was not helpful.

“You could be trying for hours to get through on the phone, and then when you do finally get through the person on the end gives you the wrong information and you can get in trouble when you go visit because you don’t have something you need, or you have brought something you shouldn’t have, or worn inappropriate clothing, all because you got the wrong information from them, and you try to tell the officer this when visiting but they don’t care, they just cancel your visit,” one person said.

Numerous studies have found that prison visits assist in reducing recidivism and help people in prison to remain connected with the people who will support them when they are released. 

People in prison who receive visits are also less likely to experience mental health problems, less likely to have instances of misconduct and are more likely to have a favourable perception of procedural legitimacy.