Reprinted from November 28, 2019
Last of four parts
Nearly two-thirds of imprisoned mothers have never received a visit from their children.
Jill McCorkel, professor of sociology and criminology, Villanova University in Philadelphia, submitted the following article to The Conversation.
“Visitors are not allowed to bring outside food and drink into prisons. Instead, families eat meals from prison vending machines. Pennsylvania prisons recently installed machines featuring fresh food options: Salads, sandwiches, wraps, and yogurt. Prices for fresh food range from $4.25 to $5.25 per item.
“To use the machines, visitors first must buy a special debit card ($2.00). During my visit with Alvarado, we purchased two buffalo chicken wraps ($10.50), a small bag of Fritos ($1.50), ginger ale ($2.25) and a bottle of water ($2.25). Compared to other families who report spending in excess of $80 or more on food, our lunch was inexpensive, at $18.50.
“For a single visit to SCI Muncy, I spent $80 on food, fuel and highway tolls. This is in excess of what a minimum wage worker in Pennsylvania can earn in an eight-hour day.
“Not surprisingly, one study reports that families are forced to choose between going on a prison visit and covering child-care expenses.
“There are more than 111,000 women in state and federal prisons, a number that has barely budged in recent years despite criminal justice-reform efforts.
“A key disadvantage that imprisoned women confront is the lack of prison visits. Reducing burdens on families who want to visit offers an alternative.
“Two low-cost ways of doing so are through the provision of transportation services and expanded visiting hours. Additionally, collaborative partnerships among legislators, sentencing authorities, and Department of Corrections officials offer possibilities for new policy innovation. Given that women’s crimes are typically non-serious and nonviolent, one option to explore is community-based alternatives to traditional forms of incarceration.
“In recent years, California, Washington, and Oregon have passed legislation allowing primary caregivers of minor children to serve time in alternative, community-based programs provided they meet eligibility requirements and are nonviolent offenders.
“Preliminary research suggests that alternatives to incarceration may improve women’s odds of reentry success and provide benefits to their children and families,” McCorkel wrote.