Evaluation of a Visitation Program at a Canadian Penitentiary

This study explored the outcomes of a voluntary visitation program at a Canadian penitentiary, focusing on benefits to male inmates, volunteers, and the institution. Inmates valued having a safe place to talk and observed that the visits helped them cope with life in the penitentiary and build relationships. Visitors felt they had become more empathic and tolerant and more appreciative of their own quality of life. Staff members indicated that the institute benefited from having a group of offenders with a more optimistic outlook and who were more in touch with the outside world. Last, opening doors to regular members of society provided a form of accountability in which the institute gained credibility in the community.