A Colorado jail hasn’t allowed in-person visits in nearly 20 years – here’s what research says about visitation’s effects

The Adams County Jail, located north of Denver, has not permitted in-person visits for nearly two decades. This means incarcerated individuals do not share visiting rooms with their families or relatives, nor can they sit across from them behind a protective barrier. Similar to many county jails across Colorado’s Front Range and an increasing number of jails nationwide, visits at Adams County Jail occur exclusively via video conferencing, often at a per-minute charge.

A group of families is currently contesting the ban in court, arguing it infringes upon their constitutional right to maintain family associations. This lawsuit is part of a broader national movement targeting similar policies in jails. In-person visits at Adams County Jail have not been allowed for nearly two decades, as reported by 9News.

While video visitation can serve as a valuable lifeline for family members who are physically distant, work-scheduled, or unable to bear travel costs, it may still lack the comfort of physical touch and presence.

According to research conducted by criminal justice policy organizations, video visitation should be seen as a supplement to in-person visitation and not a complete replacement. The researchers, who focus on visitation in correctional settings, acknowledge the question raised by the Adams County case: What are the effects of in-person visits on incarcerated individuals and their families?

The answer is multifaceted, taking into account the care environments, preexisting relationships between inmates and visitors, and the quality of interactions during visits.

For many incarcerated people, the absence of family and friends is the most emotionally challenging aspect of incarceration. Visits provide a temporary reprieve from this separation, enabling families to reconnect face-to-face. This alone can alleviate the emotional burden of separation. Furthermore, visits break the routine of confinement, offering something to anticipate, thereby making prison life more bearable.

When people are visited, they are less likely to engage in serious rule violations and report lower levels of psychological distress. Moreover, these relationships established during incarceration can positively impact their reentry into society, providing support for housing, employment, and staying away from criminal activities.

However, in-person visits are not universally comfortable experiences. Correctional facilities are designed with security in mind, characterized by razor wire, steel doors, constant surveillance, and stringent rules surrounding visitation. Visitors often undergo intrusive searches, pass through metal detectors, adhere to strict dress codes, and endure lengthy waits.

These stringent measures can be intimidating and make visitors feel disrespected, potentially discouraging them from returning. The structure of visits varies across facilities; some allow family members to sit side by side, while others enforce non-contact visits behind physical barriers. The type of environment where an inmate and their visitor interact can significantly influence the quality of that interaction.