Connecting families to inmates lowers recidivism, fund seekers say

Visits from family have been shown to reduce the likelihood of prisoners making a return trip to incarceration.

That was the message offered up by testifiers Wednesday for a pair of bills seeking to help family members visit inmates. Both were held over by the House Corrections Division for possible inclusion in an omnibus bill.

HF754, sponsored by Rep. Jamie Becker-Finn (DFL-Roseville), would appropriate $316,309 to unPrison Project’s Mama's Bus, a two-year pilot project providing transportation for child visits to the Shakopee women’s prison organized around reading activities to improve literacy and to assist parent and child bonding.

Sponsored by Rep. Raymond Dehn (DFL-Mpls), HF1518 would appropriate $800,000 to Peace of Hope, Inc. for a two-year pilot project to assist families with setting up and getting to inmate visits at state correctional facilities.

“This would give Minnesota a chance to be a pioneer in the country,” said Deborah Jiang-Stein, CEO of the unPrison Project.

Past projects have focused on those who are highest risk, noted Lori Timlin, parenting program coordinator at the Department of Corrections. Those inmates that are most likely to reoffend often no longer have connections to their families, making them the most challenging visits to arrange.

Neither bill is constrained by language linking visits to risk of recidivism.

Visits often require more than transportation, explained Sharon Brooks, founder and president of Peace of Hope. Inmates’ families are often economically challenged and need assistance gathering documentation or getting IDs in order to request permission to visit. Once they have permission, they may also need help with child care, meals, and other expenses.

Rep. Marion O'Neill (R-Maple Lake) raised concerns over giving grants through direct appropriations, noting grant making is normally done through a competitive process administered by state agencies. She also raised concerns over the amount sought, noting both appropriations would provide significantly more funding than the two operations had managed in the past.

Gov. Tim Walz’s proposed biennial budget does contain a provision for a $150,000 competitive grant through the Department of Corrections to provide inmate families visit transportation.

The respective companion bills — SF471, sponsored by Sen. Dan Hall (R-Burnsville), and SF1867, sponsored by Sen. Jeff Hayden (DFL-Mpls) — await action by the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee.