R Street Institute

Policy Studies Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties

The importance of supporting family connections to ensure successful re-entry

by Emily Mooney AND Nila Bala
Oct 3, 2018
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Key Points

Family connections may offer critical emotional and psychological support, help incarcerated individuals gain practical support, mitigate the harm parental incarceration has on children and promote public safety.
We should then remove unnecessary and unproductive barriers to family connections, make visitation more accessible and productive and expand the impact of positive family connections.

“Behind most incarcerated individuals is a family that is critical to encouraging positive change on the inside and supporting them as they prepare for life on the outside. Connecting these families creates a safer public in the form of reduced crime and incarceration.”

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