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Washington, D.C. – Lawmakers play a central and influential role in shaping our prison system, yet most have never been inside one. A new report released today by FAMM seeks to close that knowledge gap by shedding light on the realities of life inside prison and the ways to increase lawmakers’ understanding of prison conditions and shape more effective policymaking.
Since 2022, FAMM’s “Visit a Prison” campaign has encouraged policymakers to visit a prison in their community. Since then, hundreds of lawmakers have toured facilities, participated in programming, and spoken with incarcerated individuals, their loved ones, and correctional staff. In the new report, You Don’t Know if You Don’t Go: Understanding the Value of Prison Visits, FAMM summarizes the impact of bringing lawmakers closer to the prison system by stepping behind the walls.
“I challenge every lawmaker, every judge, every person who has a direct hand in our prison system to actually go and visit a prison for themselves,” said Dr. Shaneva D. McReynolds, President of FAMM. “You cannot know what it is like if you do not go. You cannot understand the magnitude of what it means to travel more than 500 miles to see your loved one until you talk to a family member. You don’t know what it feels like to be in a cell without air conditioning until you feel the stifling heat of a prison on a summer’s day. You will never understand the impact of overcrowded and understaffed facilities until you hear from someone who has been in solitary confinement because there are not enough correctional staff. Do not take my word for it, go to a prison, and see it, feel it, understand it for yourself. I promise, it will transform the way you see the system and how to fix it.”
The report details five policy recommendations to help increase lawmakers’ understanding of the prison system they fund and shape every day. Key policy recommendations include:
- Adoption or expansion of “gold key” access policies that allow lawmakers unannounced and unrestricted access to correctional facilities in their state.
- Expansion and access to regular, meaningful family visitation, including in-person, phone, and videoconferencing visits.
- Adoption of family notification laws that require timely communication with designated contacts during emergencies.
- Firsthand observation of prisons to understand facility and system-level needs to improve safety, health outcomes, and rehabilitation.
- Required regular in-person observation of correctional facilities as a matter of public duty to better understand discrepancies between policy and practice.
New York recently became the first state in the country to require judges who serve in criminal and family courts to make at least one meaningful visit a year to a prison, jail, or other detention facility. The rule, which will go into effect in 2028, came after visits by members of the New York State Office of Court Administration.
The report features the testimony of lawmakers who have benefited from visiting a prison.
“Until you hear people’s stories, you’re not going to get it,” said Pennsylvania Representative Mike Jones. “If the people of Pennsylvania could just see what I saw – a minute and a half – of this man telling his story, it would change your heart and your mind. Prison visits give you credibility as a legislator.”
FAMM’s “Visit a Prison” campaign offers model legislation, prison visit guides, and resources for policymakers and community members. For more information visit www.famm.org.
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