THE 2025 BRUCE SMITH SR. AWARD ADDRESS: Relationship Quality and Prison Visitation: Examining Contemporary Modes of Contact in Prison Settings

Family engagement for incarcerated persons is a central feature of U.S. correctional policy designed to maintain social ties and improve correctional outcomes during and post imprisonment. Research on prison contact has focused primarily on in-person visitation despite the range of modes of communication available to incarcerated people. Further, minimal attention has been given to how contact frequency relates to relationship quality. Using interview data from 169 incarcerated men and women across three state prison systems (320 adult relationships), we examined 1) how frequently incarcerated individuals use five modes of contact—in-person visits, video visits, phone calls, e-mail/e-messaging exchange, and written mail—and 2) how contact frequency is associated with relationship quality (i.e., openness to communication, relationship happiness, hostility, and rejection). Results from multilevel mixed-effects models reveal modes of contact varied in frequency of use and in their association with relationship quality, with phone calls, e-mail/e-messaging exchange, and written mail as the most consequential forms of contact for relationship quality. Findings highlight the importance of expanding research beyond visitation to include contemporary modes of prison contact and implementing strategies that improve relationship quality.