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Criminal Justice Review
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Communication Policy Changes in State Adult Correctional Facilities From 1971 to 2005

Heath C. Hoffmann

College of Charleston, South Carolina

George E. Dickinson

College of Charleston, South Carolina

Chelsea L. Dunn

College of Charleston, South Carolina

The objective of this research is to document correctional institutions’ policies regarding inmates’ correspondence, visitation, and telephoning between 1971 and 2005. Data were gathered via mailed surveys in 1971, 1981, 1991, and 2005 from state correctional facilities for adults in maximum security institutions. The survey return rates were 93% (n = 64) in 1971, 96% (n = 66) in 1981, 81% (n = 91) in 1991, and 84% (n = 162) in 2005. The findings suggest that prison communication policies are becoming more restrictive on visitation and inmates are assuming more of the expenses for correspondence. At the same time, policies regarding telephone usage seem to have gotten more lenient, with the financial obligations falling solely on the inmates. These results are informative as many state legislatures are becoming increasingly attentive to strategies that might reinforce inmate relationships with family and friends to reduce recidivism rates, lessening the financial strain of incarceration on state budgets.

Key Words: prison policies • prisoner visitation • communication policies • re-entry

Criminal Justice Review, Vol. 32, No. 1, 47-64 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/0734016806297646
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