2022 Symposium for Student Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity

Children of incarcerated parents face a multitude of issues, and some can have a significant impact on their mental health. While existing research acknowledges that there is a link between parental incarceration and mental health issues, many children who have an incarcerated parent are often left without treatment or other resources that address their needs. One way to mitigate some of the mental health implications for children is consistent and healthy contact with the incarcerated parent. However, visitation procedures and guidelines vary depending on the facility, staff and resources available, and security levels. In order to gain insight into the different visitation procedures, we contacted 15 county facilities in Western Pennsylvania and asked about their visitation protocols in general, for families, and how these have changed due to COVID-19. This presentation also discusses possible solutions that could help mitigate the restrictions placed on family visits and assist children and their incarcerated parents to strengthen their family bond.