VIDEO VISITS UTAH STATE PRISON FREE

'There's nothing special about people being in prison or people having loved ones in prison,' he says. They're experiencing the same isolation, loneliness and anxiety that many of us are feeling – and in an environment more prone to outbreaks. That aside, though, Wright stresses that inmates are also dealing with the COVID-19 crisis right now. 'It's going to be through social networking that they're going to get their initial job or initial employment,' he says. He says inmates usually rely on family for housing and for finding work when they get out. Paul Wright is the executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center, a nonprofit that advocates for inmate rights. One study that followed more than 250 prisoners after their release found that 'familial telephone contact was most consistently associated with reductions in recidivism.'

And it's really important for them to maintain that contact.' 'They're going to be rejoining, in many cases, those family members. 'Ninety to 95% of individuals that just happen to be incarcerated will be back out in the community at some point,' says Mike Haddon, executive director of the Utah Department of Corrections. A number of studies show that contact with family and friends in the outside world is critical for reducing recidivism. These policies aren't just about inmates and their families, though. And at the national level, the Federal Bureau of Prisons has waived fees for all video and phone calls for its inmates.

VIDEO VISITS UTAH STATE PRISON FREE

State prisons across the Mountain West are taking similar steps to provide a limited number of free calls. 'When they get out and if they feel disconnected from us, it makes it really difficult on them.' 'The family, friends on the outside, we're their support system,' Peay says. She says the free calls keep them connected, which is crucial. Peay used to spend $40 or $50 a month to talk to her husband on the phone. They're currently allowing each inmate 10 free phone calls a week while visitations are off-limits. That's probably been the hardest part, is just not being able to see if he's truly OK.' You can tell if things are good and they're really handling things fine – or not. 'When you can't see them, their look in their eyes,' Peay says, trailing off. She says not seeing him more is really hard, and she worries a lot. But that was before visitations were nixed due to COVID-19. She used to see him at least once a week.

Tami Peay's husband is incarcerated in a Utah state prison for an illegal drugs conviction, and she hasn't seen him in more than four months.

Video visits utah state prison