Conjugal Visit Essay

By a simple definition, conjugal visits are private visits that are scheduled for an inmate and their spouse or common-law partner for a certain period of time. Duration of those visits varies between countries therefore they could be from several hours to several days. For instance in Canada, inmates are entitled to up to 72 hours conjugal visits every two months, which is equivalent to 3 full days (csc-scc.gc.ca). During the visits both inmate and visitor are required to obey by the rules and responsibilities as listed by Correctional Service Canada. The exceptions are set by the CSC that can decide not to grant conjugal visits to certain inmates in certain situations such as: history of family violence; disciplinary segregation at the time

The main goal of the program was to encourage inmates to work harder inside the walls. Those who were productive were later rewarded conjugal visit. Year later, when the system turned out to be effective, special buildings were designed for “Sunday visits”, to better accommodate couples (Rodgers, 2009). Now days the purpose of conjugal visits have changed, since its not used anymore to increase work productivity but to rehabilitate an inmate and possibly reduce recidivism and revolving door syndrome. Keeping inmates connected with spouses and family members helps to preserve family bonds and can also make a positive impact on inmates after serving the sentence (Rodgers,

During conjugal visits, an inmate and the visitor might engage in sexual intercourse therefore supplies such as: condom, soap, lubricant and towels are provided. To be eligible as a common-law partner both an inmate and visitor have to proof that they’ve been in a conjugal relationship for a period of at least one year (csc-scc.gc.ca). Before participating in Private Family Program, a visitor has to fill out three forms: visiting application and information form; child safety waiver (if applicable) and consent for Private Family Visits. The CSC does not tolerate family violence, therefore criminal charges might be laid against an inmate or if not, preventative measure might be taken during next visits to ensure well being of visitors. As an example, correctional officers might conduct follow up interviews with a visitor to assess any changes in inmate’s behavior