Chapter 1

Isolation, loneliness, and a lack of contact with family and friends are some ofthe most
distressing aspects of life behind bars (Sykes, 1958). Often cited as aprimary reason for inmate
maladjustment, the separation from loved ones canbe detrimental to prisoners’ emotional
well-being (Adams, 1992; Gordon,1999; Liebling, 1999). Prison visitation, however, offers a
reprieve from thisseparation—it gives inmates the chance to interact and communicate
withtheir loved ones while incarcerated. While other forms of contact, such asletters and
phone calls, are certainly meaningful, the ability to connect,face-to-face, over the course of
several hours is considered a vital bondingopportunity for inmates and their families or
friends (Arditti, 2005; Christian &Kennedy, 2011; Maru

Further, prison visitation serves a couple of important functions.First, it helps inmates maintain
their social ties to friends and family—ties that can help inmates cope with the pains of
imprisonment, and that can help them find housing, secure employment, and avoid criminal
influences upon release. And second,prison visitation helps with “institutional management”—
it lessens inmate idle-ness and discontent, and provides an incentive administrators can use fo
rmaintaining good behavior.

In addition, prison visits reduced depressive symptoms in women and adolescent prisoners.
There was some evidence of reduction in rule-breaking behavior. One high-quality study
suggested that visits reduced recidivism and increased survival in the community (De Claire
K.,2017).

For many prisoners, family visit are one of the principal means of maintaining contact with
family. Yet despite an established empirical link between visitation and reduced reoffending,
there has been comparatively little research examining what effect visits have on family
relations. One possibility is that visitation improves the strength of familial attachment which in
turn reduces the propensity of prisoners to reoffend. In other words, improvement of the family
relations may be the mechanism through which visits reduces reoffending (Smith B.,and
McCarthy D.J., 2016).

The role of the family cannot be underestimated – for most people the family offers a feeling of
belonging and provides support, both in practical and emotional ways. More often than not,
they are there to offer guidance and provide listening ear when needed. Receiving visits from
family members is massively important for those inside. In short, they keep people going and
provide much needed punctuation to the humdrum of institutional life. Perversely, visits with
family members are used as a ‘carrot and stick’ for prisoners – behave and comply with the rules
and visits will be fairly regular; cause disruption and problems and visits are taken away. For
families, the financial and emotional ordeal of visiting can be immense and so often prisons are
poorly linked in with public transport services creating mammoth journey times for a relatively
short visits period (Woodall J.,2015).

In addition, Visits are important markers for prisoners, often providing a much needed
‘boost’.Visits from family and friends mitigates against prisoners becoming
institutionalised.Visiting helps family (children especially) to understand what prison is like for
their loved one. Often it’s not as bad as they have been imagining and myths are often
dispelled.Prison visits make it more likely that the family remains intact this means that when
the prisoner is released he/she is better able to integrate into society.Visits allow prisoners,
albeit temporarily, to maintain their role as husband,wife,father,mother,son,daughter. It is an
important reminder that they are more than ‘a prisoner’.Maintaining family ties through visits is
a cost-effective way to reduce recidivism.Visits keep families together and potentially prevents
family-breakdown.Visits and the maintenance of family ties can help prevent intergenerational
offending (Woodall J., 2015).

In like manner, Canada issued a Visit Card to the family member whom the inmate has
declared as his or her next-of-kin upon admission. Family members who are able to produce the
relevant documentary proofs of their relationship will help speed up and facilitate the
administration process for visitation requests.The warden of the institution said, Visits from
family members, friends and loved ones play an important role in the rehabilitation and
reintegration of inmates.For many inmates, these visits can enhance family bonding and help
develop positive social support towards their rehabilitative efforts. This will in turn facilitate
their eventual re-integration into the community (Chean Z. 2019).

In the book "Shine for Kids" visiting prisons can often be an upsetting time for kids and their
parents.A prison visiting area can be harsh and controlled, which can be frightening for
children.It can also be busy and noisy – yet the kids must somehow spend meaningful time with
a parent they may have only seen occasionally.Visitors are forbidden from taking in any items
like comforting toys, books or activities.Visits can last many hours, which means children get
bored as well.It’s a pity that children learn to associate all these feelings with visiting their
parent.The Prison Invisits Program is designed to make visits less upsetting, more interesting
and fun for kids.In a small area, set aside from everyone else, are a qualified and experienced
childcare worker employed by SHINE for Kids, together with trained volunteers. They provide
enjoyable and relaxing activities that provide a break not only to the children but also to the
parents. While their children are happily occupied, parents and carers an opportunities to relate
with each other as adults rather than being focused on the supervision of their children during
the visit.

In connection, Department of Corrections (DOC) of Pennsylvania will be implementing Video

Visitation in all facilities and select Community corrections locations. Approved video visitors
will be able to schedule a Video Visit at the institution of their choice. Increasing Video
Visitation will allow closer communication between families who otherwise may not be able to
travel across the state for an in-person visit. There will be no cost to the families (Wetzel
J.E.,2019).

In contrast, Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Chief Nicanor Faeldon temporarily suspended

visitation privileges of all inmates under the agency."It's effective immediately upon the order of
Director General Faeldon, and that is nationwide. When we say nationwide, there is on seven
operating prisons and penal farms of the Bureau of Corrections," said the agency's public
information office head, C/SInsp. Eusebio del Rosario Wednesday. The said suspension covers
visits of family members to inmates and their privileges of bringing them food. The order comes
in light of a recent incident involving a prisoner allegedly running a drug ring via social media
who has now been transferred to the New Bilibid Prison, as well as after the abolition of gang
affiliations in the national penitentiary (Barcelon P.,2019).

The negative effects of incarceration often compounded b4thbother adverse experiences these
children are more likely to experience, including poverty, parental divorce, and exposure to
violence. To mitigate these risks some correctional agencies offer parent-child visits in prison or
jail, often with the help of community-based organizations. Parent-child visit are cinsistent with
one of the central tenets of the Children of Incarcerated Parents Bill of Rights, specfically that
children have the right to speak, see, touch their parents. Developed by the San Francisco
Children of Incacerated Parents Partnership in 2003 and based on yiung people's experiences
with parental incarceration, the bill of rights identify the need and right to a relationship with
their parent involved in the justice system. The bill of right has been widely accepted and sed by
several organizations working with children of incerated parents and their famililies(Cramer L.,
Goff M., Petterson B., and Sandstrom H., 2017).

As a criminolgy student, we want to know the impact of family visit to the inmates.In most
cases, once a person is imprisoned family member dont usually visit the prisoner in prison, with
this we are eager to know the impact of visition to the inmates and its effect to their
performance.We will be able to analyze the problem and sum up with a conclusion. With the
brief study we will be able to form a solution and come-uo with a reccomendation regarding the
problem of the study.

Conceptual Framework
This study is anchored in the Family System Theory.This theory describes the differet
subsystems that exists in the family, for example the role of the mother,father,sister,brother and
etc. Within the family, each of these subsytems has effect on other subsystems because the
family is a unit of interrelated parts.Homeostasis is the main goal for the family in order to
achieve and maintain harmony. This study predicts that the actions of other family member
toward the incarcerrated individual will have an effect on the inmate perception of their
sentence and chance of re-offending.

This is also theorized in the Social Bond Theory. This study states bonds to family, friends, and
community serves to.constrain tendencies to commit crime. This idea is implicit in many
justifications for prisoner visitations.

General Strain Theory offers another foundation through which visitation is held to reduce
recedivism. The theory posits, in part, that a critical factor in wether strain leads to offending is
the type of extent of coping resources and social supports individuals posses.Generally,
expectations is that individuals with support networks, incding ties to family, friends and
community may have more, and more prosocial strategies for managing the many challenges
with reentry to society.

The paradigm of the study found in the next page shows the scope and direction of the study.
The first frame which refers to the independent variables consist of the Effects of visitations of
family members to the inmate.

The second frame is the moderator, consits of respondents which are the prisoner, and jail
officers of the Bontoc District Jail in Bontoc, Mountai.Province.

The last frame consists of the dependet variable which is the Effects of visit of fmily members
to the inmates of Bontoc District Jail.
Researh Paradigm

Indelendent Variable.

1. Effects of visitation of family member.

to the inmates.
Statement of the problem

1. What are the effects of visit of family member to the inmates in District Jail Bontoc, Mt.
Province?
 Chapter 2

Methods and Procedure

This chapter presents the methods and procedures by the researchers in gathering data
relevant to the problems of investigations and analayzing the data, rekevant to the problems,
the subject and the strategy employed for the comoletion of the study.

The descriptive method of research was used in this study. Descriptive method of research is a
fact finding study with adequate and accurate interpretation of the findings. It describes with
emphasis what actually exist susch as current conditions, practices, situations or any
phenomena.

Locale and Population of the study

Bontoc District Jail is the main focus of the study. It is composed 46 males and 2 females with
a total population of 48 prisoners.

Figure 2. Bontoc District Jail Map

Data Gatering Tool

The method of gathering data was the normative survey through interview guide.This is
concerned with looking into the commonality of some elements. Interview guide was the
instrument used to gather data because the answers are opinionated and ellaborated in a way
that it is more understandable.

The interview are drafted by the researchers in relation with the soecific problems that were
identified. It was was shown to the course instructor for preliminary checking in terms of the
contents. For validation purposes, the questions are being ask by the researcher to the
concerned person to find out their answers.

Date Gathering Procedure

The researcer secure permision to conduct the study fom the Criminology Department
Chairman. Upon the aporoval of the Chairman, the researchers ask the permision of the
Bontoc District Jail Warden for the conduct of the study.

This is done by sending letter of request to the Warden of Bontoc District Jail for approval to
conduct the study.

The interview is done personally by the researchers to the respondent. The respondent
answer the questions with their own opinions.

Treatment of data

For the analysis and interpretation of data,

Chapter III

Results and Discussion

This chapter presents the analysis, interpretation, relults and discussion of the study based on
the data gathered.

Table 1. Effects of family visit to the inmates

1.Family as Inspiration motivates and open new possibilities

2. Provides hope to wake up everyday/ keep life going

3. Provides additional incintives to the inmates

This table shows the effects of visitations of family members to those PDL's . The highest or the
most common answers of the PDL's is that their family member gives them hope to continue
their lives even if they are incarcerated. According to one of the female, Close familial bonds are
what gave her hope , She said—and it was the same for the other few inmates she
trusted.Family is still in our corner. They’re still supporting us, not always financially but
emotionally. And that’s—that’s the key to keeo life going,” She said confidently.

One of the effects of family visitation is that " Family as inspiration motivates and open new
possibilities" wherein, it emphasized that those prisoners are driven to overcome challenges
because they have their family members as their inspiration.

Family visitation provides an additional incintives to the inmates wherein, it imphasize that visit
of family members is a great help to the inmates or PDL's in maintaining their good behavior
to comply with the various day-to-day rules and regulations of the prison. Maitaining good
behavior is plus points to the GCTA which can be deducted to the inmates sentence.

In an interview with the PDL, most of them says that they were happy as their family members
visit them even if it was just once or twice a month. This shows that we are still important with
them because of the support that they shows.

Chapter IV

Conclusion and Recommendation

This chapter presents the conclusions and recommendations based on the findings of the
study.

Conclusion

Based from the lights of the findings conclusion were drawn.

Visitation of family member to the inmates creates Family bonds which builds confidence-
building to those Person Deprive of Liberty. Further, it uplift the prisoners to be positive and
continue to keep their life going.

Family support also motivates those incarcerated ones to face those challenges inside the
jail.

Recommendation.
1. Family members should regularly visit their incarcerated loved ones.

2. Prisoners should welcome their family members to strengthen their bond attachments.

Refference

Barcelon P.,(2019) entitled Prisons chief suspends visitation privileges of inmates. Retrieved on
April 26, 2019 from http://cnnphilippines.com/news/2019/3/6/Bureau-of-Corrections-Nicanor-
Faeldon-visitation-privileges-inmates-Rustico-Ygot.html

Cramer L., Goff M., Petterson B., and Sandstrom H., (2017) entitled Parent Child Visiting
Practices in prison and jails from http://www.urban.org.filespublication

De Claire K., (2017) entitled The Effects of Prison Visits From Family Members on Prisoners'
Well-Being, Prison Rule Breaking, and Recidivism: A Review of Research Since 1991. Retrieved
on April 20, 2017 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/26330175/

Martin E., in his Book "The Changing Nature of Visitation." Retrieved on April 20, 2019 from
http://www.ncjrs.gov

Shine for Kids.Retrieved on April 20,2019 from https://shineforkids.org.au/prison-invisits-

program-2/

Smith B.,and McCarthy D.J., 2016) entitled The Effects of Prisoner Attachment to Family on Re-
enty outcomes: A Longitudinal Assessment. Retrieved on April 20, 2019 from
http://warwick.ac.uk.

Turanovic J.J., ( 2019) entitled Inmates' Experiences with Prison Visitation. Retrieved on April 20,
2019 from
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/320331251_Inmates'_Experiences_with_Prison_Visi
tation

Wetzel J.E.,(2019) entitled For Family and Friends. Retrieved on April 24, 2019 from
https://www.cor.pa.gov/family-and-friends/Pages/default.aspx
Woodall J., (2015) entitled Ten reasons why keeping prisoners in touch with their families is so
important. Retrieved on April 20, 2017 from
https://drjameswoodall.wordpress.com/2015/03/01/ten-reasons-why-keeping-prisoners-in-
touch-with-their-families-is-so-important/

Interview Guide

1. How does visitation of family member affects the Person Deprive of Liberty or PDL's
performance?