During the pandemic, many of us have been in constant close quarters with family members. It could have felt suffocating, and these family members might have felt like a distraction or annoyance. Now, imagine having been alone during the past year. You might think it would have been peaceful or easier since I know that was what first came to mind for me. Even if you were physically separated, you probably would still have been able to contact your loved ones virtually, see them while following social distancing guidelines, and know whether they were infected with this deadly virus — all privileges that prisoners and their families never received. 

There were no good morning texts or calls, no daily check-ins to communicate with loved ones. Inmates were completely isolated. Social media and connections via technology are the biggest sources of interaction between most people, especially during the pandemic. Think of all the times you like or comment on the posts of distant relatives or acquaintances to let them know that you are thinking of them and that you are okay. Imagine not having the opportunity to even talk to your closest friends and family virtually.  

In many U.S. prisons, visitations were canceled along with phone calls because they didn’t want to further spread the disease among outsiders and inmates. They wanted to keep prisoners isolated and reduce as much contact as possible between them. Imagine not knowing whether your loved one was sick or even alive in a facility where coronavirus outbreaks were even more common than in the “real world.” In some states, there were 9x as many COVID cases in jails than there were in the state. That is 9x as many chances that prisoners would contract the disease, have a more serious infection, and even die. Prisoners tend to have worse underlying illnesses because of the conditions in prison and have worse hospitals than most citizens. Imagine thinking any day that your family members could die from an outbreak of the virus, but you won’t know because your contact is limited with them. 

Visitations have proven to improve prisoners’ quality of life. According to Trauma Violence Abuse studies (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26330175/), prison visits reduce depressive symptoms among prisoners and reduce negative behavior such as rule breaking. Additionally, previous visits while inmates were in jail can help an ex-convict as one study suggested that visits reduced recidivism and increased survival in the community. Visitations allow prisoners contact with those that know their character and see them as more than a criminal, those people see them as human. They see that they can and will do better. Visitations also drastically improve the perspective and mood of the incarcerated people; it can bring them hope, motivation, and happiness. They are going to work hard to be able to spend more time with their loved ones hopefully outside of jail. A study (ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/effects-prison-visitation-offender-recidivism) by the Minnesota Department of Corrections found that inmates who were visited in prison had a 13 percent lower risk of recidivism than inmates who were not visited in prison. It has also been proven that social contact does affect physical health, so the health of these prisoners both mentally and physically could improve from a simple phone call or visitation.  

Take the case of Anthony Ray Hinton. He spent one of the longest sentences on death row in an Alabama state prison after being accused of murdering two fast-food restaurant owners who had been simultaneously robbed. A third victim who had attempted to be murdered and robbed with the same modus operandi wrongly identified Hinton in a lineup as he had been working during the time with video evidence. The police indicated that even if Mr. Hinton didn’t commit the crime, he might as well take the blame because another person of color must have done it. Although he was wrongly and unjustly imprisoned for the first-degree murder of two men and sentenced to death, he still received many visitations from his mother and best friend, which helped him persevere. After being released, Hinton wrote an autobiography about his time on death row, The Sun Does Shine. I first read his work after reading and watching Just Mercy. In the book, Bryan Stevenson shares a little about Hinton which introduced me to him, his story, and his book. I thought it was despicable that he was treated in an inhumane way and was convicted based solely on his race. I also admired all of the good Hinton has done from starting a book club within the prison to sharing his story internationally. However, Hinton is not an isolated incident, many receive visits but even more don’t or can’t during this time. Inmates need help fixing their mistakes. These visits help them as they are surrounded by people who are cheering them on rather than constantly treating them like less than a human. Overall, this pandemic has unproportionally impacted jails and prisons both mentally and physically. 

“Our neighbor Miss Wesley Mae brought my mom to see me at Holman after my ninety-day probation was over and I was allowed a visit,” he wrote of their visits. “These two old ladies had never driven so far, alone, and had gotten lost trying to find their way to Atmore.''

He had people who cared for him and visited him on a regular basis. He went as far as trying to remember his mother’s laugh, so he could repeat it in his head as a source of joy. He would use it to drown out all of the trauma he endured on death row. He was always happy to see those closest to him. His family and friends brought him joy, which kept his spirits up and allowed him to get the justice he deserved. Even those who are guilty of a crime deserve to have support in bettering themselves. They deserve to be able to see their family and those people as a source of inspiration to change themselves and rehabilitate. So, remember to be grateful for the people who act as your backbone and continually act as your role models cheering you on each step of the way. 

Without support, many prisoners lost hope just as mental health was declining internationally, the same was happening within jails and prisons. Many inmates had no goals to work towards because they had no contact with friends, cousins, aunts, uncles, parents, or siblings. Both the people in and out of the prison had no way of knowing whether or not their loved ones contracted this deadly disease. Prisoners suffer more than can be imagined, and that was only worsened by the pandemic. It is important to not only be grateful for the extra time but understand the privileges you may have that others would be so thankful for.