conjugal visit

Conjugal Visits: An Overview

A conjugal visit, also known as an extended family visit, is a scheduled period of time where an incarcerated individual is permitted to spend private time with a legal spouse or partner. The purpose of these visits is to allow the maintenance of intimate relationships while a partner serves their sentence.

History of Conjugal Visits

Conjugal visits have a long history. They likely originated in the 1700s as a population control method in the Mississippi prison system. The idea was that allowing prisoners to procreate would provide more laborers for the region’s plantations.
This practice continued into the early 20th century. Conjugal visits were granted as rewards for good behavior or available for purchase on a fee-for-service basis. Mississippi abolished this in the 1950s, but conjugals remained common in Latin America—a policy possibly influenced by French colonists.
In recent decades, only six states have allowed conjugals. California offered them from 1968–1996. New York now permits just a single two-day visit before release. As of 2022, they remain available solely in Washington, California, New Mexico and Connecticut.

Debating the Merits of Conjugal Visits

There are impassioned arguments on both sides of the conjugal visit debate:

Potential Benefits

• Maintaining family bonds and intimacy is considered a basic human right by groups like Amnesty International.
• Conjugals incentivize good behavior in prison and assist prisoners in transitioning back to public life.
• The family unit is preserved despite incarceration.
• Visits decrease sexual violence in prisons.
• There are possible mental health benefits.

Criticisms

• Providing private rooms for prisoners is controversial and upsetting to victims’ rights groups.
• There are concerns about contraband smuggling.
• The spread of STIs is possible if precautions aren’t taken.
• Administering visits strains budgets and prison resources.
• Conjugals could undermine legal punishments and be demoralizing for staff.

There’s also debate around whether conjugals privileges should be extended to same-sex couples in the U.S. This remains an evolving civil rights issue.

The Conjugal Visit Experience

For prisoners, qualifying for conjugal visits depends upon meeting strict criteria set by state corrections departments regarding:

• Behavioral compliance
• Visitor background checks
• Application procedures
• Relationship legitimacy
• Clean drug tests
• Health exams

If deemed eligible, inmates typically get up to 72 hours per visit, once every two months. These occur in dedicated trailers with food preparation areas, televisions, games, and other basic amenities.
Still, despite the pleasant setting, having sex while under 24/7 surveillance is challenging. Maintaining intimacy often proves difficult after long separations. Counseling services may assist couples in overcoming awkwardness.
Visitation procedures are strict. Physical contact with visitors usually begins with a kiss and hug, followed by a pat down. Any violations of rules or suspicious activity leads to termination of the visit.

The Future of Conjugal Visits

While their popularity has declined, conjugal visits still have ardent defenders. The topic remains controversial. As researchers gather more data on the impacts of these programs, corrections officials may reverse long-held policies.