With Mother’s Day this month, prison visits have never been more important.
But for children with a parent in prison, or other loved ones, this process can be scary and intimidating, with a lot of rules and conditions.
Prison visits are often some of the only connections that those in prison have to the outside world and their loved ones, and are particularly important for children.
A recent study led by La Trobe University Law School criminologist Dr Nicole Ryan shows how prison visits can be alienating and difficult for those visiting their loved ones.
The report included a survey of nearly 250 people and 21 interviews.
It found that the current approach to prison visits is leading to “enduring changes to innocent visitors”, making them feel anxious, worthless and like they are being punished.
“The way these security measures are implemented has a significant emotional, physical and behavioural impact on those that only wish to support their loved one and maintain relationships that benefit the visitors, the incarcerated, the correctional staff and society as a whole,” the report said.
There are a wide range of rules when it comes to prison visits, including what people can wear, where they are able to sit, what level of contact they are allowed with their loved one and even if they are able to use a bathroom.
Participants in the study described this system as “draconian” and “dehumanising”.
People entering a prison to visit a loved one, including children, often have to undergo full body and retina scans, pat-downs and sniffer dog inspections.
They also have to obey strict dress codes.
One person described visiting someone in prison as like “being processed like sheep” and feeling like “a number being processed in a machine”.
“The whole process is purposefully intimidating, and I felt very uncomfortable,” they said.
“There’s no ‘hello, how are you?’. It’s just, ‘stand there, raise your arms, do this, do that, now sit there and don’t move’.”
Most prisons in Australia do not allow visitors to use the toilet once a visit has begun, with many saying that toilets should be used before a visit begins.
Those who do need to use the bathroom during a visit will often have this visit terminated if they do.
Prison visits can sometimes go for several hours, and people told the study that they experienced significant discomfort due to an inability to use the bathroom.
Hugs are usually only allowed at the start and end of a visit, with rules about sitting apart and no physical contact for the rest of the time.
“No matter how much you want to just hold hands or cuddle, you just can’t,” one person said.
But it doesn’t have to be this way.
There are programs for children that are trying to change this and make prison visits a more welcoming experience.
From 2-4pm on Sundays the Fun With Mum program, run by the Prison Network at Dame Phyllis Frost Centre in Victoria, provides a range of child-friendly activities and other more normal ways for children and mothers to connect.
This includes activities like arts and crafts, card making, drawing and games, with a focus on making the environment a bit more relaxed. There are also larger events around times such as Easter, Mother’s Day and Christmas.
With Mother’s Day this month, prison visits have never been more important.
But for children with a parent in prison, or other loved ones, this process can be scary and intimidating, with a lot of rules and conditions.
Prison visits are often some of the only connections that those in prison have to the outside world and their loved ones, and are particularly important for children.
A recent study led by La Trobe University Law School criminologist Dr Nicole Ryan shows how prison visits can be alienating and difficult for those visiting their loved ones.
The report included a survey of nearly 250 people and 21 interviews.
It found that the current approach to prison visits is leading to “enduring changes to innocent visitors”, making them feel anxious, worthless and like they are being punished.
“The way these security measures are implemented has a significant emotional, physical and behavioural impact on those that only wish to support their loved one and maintain relationships that benefit the visitors, the incarcerated, the correctional staff and society as a whole,” the report said.
There are a wide range of rules when it comes to prison visits, including what people can wear, where they are able to sit, what level of contact they are allowed with their loved one and even if they are able to use a bathroom.
Participants in the study described this system as “draconian” and “dehumanising”.
People entering a prison to visit a loved one, including children, often have to undergo full body and retina scans, pat-downs and sniffer dog inspections.
They also have to obey strict dress codes.
One person described visiting someone in prison as like “being processed like sheep” and feeling like “a number being processed in a machine”.
“The whole process is purposefully intimidating, and I felt very uncomfortable,” they said.
“There’s no ‘hello, how are you?’. It’s just, ‘stand there, raise your arms, do this, do that, now sit there and don’t move’.”
Most prisons in Australia do not allow visitors to use the toilet once a visit has begun, with many saying that toilets should be used before a visit begins.
Those who do need to use the bathroom during a visit will often have this visit terminated if they do.
Prison visits can sometimes go for several hours, and people told the study that they experienced significant discomfort due to an inability to use the bathroom.
Hugs are usually only allowed at the start and end of a visit, with rules about sitting apart and no physical contact for the rest of the time.
“No matter how much you want to just hold hands or cuddle, you just can’t,” one person said.
But it doesn’t have to be this way.
There are programs for children that are trying to change this and make prison visits a more welcoming experience.
From 2-4pm on Sundays the Fun With Mum program, run by the Prison Network at Dame Phyllis Frost Centre in Victoria, provides a range of child-friendly activities and other more normal ways for children and mothers to connect.
This includes activities like arts and crafts, card making, drawing and games, with a focus on making the environment a bit more relaxed. There are also larger events around times such as Easter, Mother’s Day and Christmas.
Kiki Gill has seen from both sides how important this program is.
She has lived experience of incarceration as a mother, and now works as a Family Support Peer at the Prison Network, helping to run the Fun With Mum program.
“I know what it feels like to wait on the inside, hoping for connection, and I also see what children carry as they come through the system,” Gill told About Time.
She said that during those two hours, the children can just be children.
“If visits are one of the only chances children have to maintain a relationship with their parent, then every part of that experience needs to support that connection,” Gill said.
Many visit rooms also only have vending machines, without any fresh or child-friendly foods. “It might seem small, but it shapes the visit,” Gill said.
The Prisons Network’s approach of making prison visits more comfortable and natural is one that could make a difference around the country, and for all visitors, not just children, Gill said.
And it’s one that needs small, practical changes rather than big reforms.
These include changes to rules around bathroom breaks, searches, dress codes, the language used about people in custody and the types of food available.
Changes in language, especially how people in prison are referred to by staff, would also make a big difference, Gill said.
“Small changes in tone and language can make a significant difference in how that experience feels," she said.
Providing fresh and child-friendly food would also make it more positive. “It might seem small but it shapes the visit," Gill said.
These changes to balance safety concerns with humanity and the interests of children would make a big difference, both Gill and the research report said.
Along with the Fun With Mum program in Victoria, there are other programs in place to help make prison visits better, especially for children.
In Victoria, VACRO’s Family Visits program involves a family worker meeting with the person in prison and their loved one beforehand, and then facilitating a video call between them if required.
It aims to help a parent in prison continue to play a meaningful role in their family’s lives.
Visits for this program are done via video rather than in person, and the prison background can be changed to something else.
One woman told About Time that VACRO’s program helped her partner, who is incarcerated in Victoria, reconnect with his teenage son, who was previously not speaking with him.
“If you can get into the program, definitely do it,” she said. “VACRO staff are amazing, passionate and empathetic.”
Shine For Kids also runs a number of programs in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and the ACT helping to arrange family visits and navigate this process. Trained staff from the organisation can also provide age-appropriate activities and toys to make the visit experience more positive for a child.
The organisation also helps with Child & Parents Days, where they can help a child have quality bonding time with their incarcerated parent, without their caregiver needing to be present.
Kiki Gill has seen from both sides how important this program is.
She has lived experience of incarceration as a mother, and now works as a Family Support Peer at the Prison Network, helping to run the Fun With Mum program.
“I know what it feels like to wait on the inside, hoping for connection, and I also see what children carry as they come through the system,” Gill told About Time.
She said that during those two hours, the children can just be children.
“If visits are one of the only chances children have to maintain a relationship with their parent, then every part of that experience needs to support that connection,” Gill said.
Many visit rooms also only have vending machines, without any fresh or child-friendly foods. “It might seem small, but it shapes the visit,” Gill said.
The Prisons Network’s approach of making prison visits more comfortable and natural is one that could make a difference around the country, and for all visitors, not just children, Gill said.
And it’s one that needs small, practical changes rather than big reforms.
These include changes to rules around bathroom breaks, searches, dress codes, the language used about people in custody and the types of food available.
Changes in language, especially how people in prison are referred to by staff, would also make a big difference, Gill said.
“Small changes in tone and language can make a significant difference in how that experience feels," she said.
Providing fresh and child-friendly food would also make it more positive. “It might seem small but it shapes the visit," Gill said.
These changes to balance safety concerns with humanity and the interests of children would make a big difference, both Gill and the research report said.
Along with the Fun With Mum program in Victoria, there are other programs in place to help make prison visits better, especially for children.
In Victoria, VACRO’s Family Visits program involves a family worker meeting with the person in prison and their loved one beforehand, and then facilitating a video call between them if required.
It aims to help a parent in prison continue to play a meaningful role in their family’s lives.
Visits for this program are done via video rather than in person, and the prison background can be changed to something else.
One woman told About Time that VACRO’s program helped her partner, who is incarcerated in Victoria, reconnect with his teenage son, who was previously not speaking with him.
“If you can get into the program, definitely do it,” she said. “VACRO staff are amazing, passionate and empathetic.”
Shine For Kids also runs a number of programs in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and the ACT helping to arrange family visits and navigate this process. Trained staff from the organisation can also provide age-appropriate activities and toys to make the visit experience more positive for a child.
The organisation also helps with Child & Parents Days, where they can help a child have quality bonding time with their incarcerated parent, without their caregiver needing to be present.
