END THE DOUBLE STANDARD IN NY STATE PRISONS.
In September 2021, DOCCS (The New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision) restarted the Family Reunification Program that had been suspended for a year and half. This meant that, after a long period of painful separation, some family members were once again able to spend time with their incarcerated loved ones for a weekend in a home-like setting. This was certainly good news, but the catch was that everyone involved had to be vaccinated. While on the surface, this might sound like a sensible precaution, in reality, it was just the latest example of DOCCS’s double standards applied in ways that are harsh, punitive, and ultimately pointless.
Physical contact is necessary to sustain a meaningful relationship with loved ones, especially parents and children. No contact visits due to COVID are having a devastating effect on bonding. It does not have to be this way. Mask mandates are being lifted and the rest of the world is opening up. It's time for contact visits to be reinstated.
Even if ALL the steps are followed, the visit may not even happen due to the loved one being moved to a different facility and the visitor not knowing or a random dress code violation (e.g. underwire in a bra). Additionally, if you touch during the visit your visit will be terminated and your loved one will get a disciplinary ticket. If this happens, the visitor has to wait until the van/bus comes back and this can be hours. As the visitor can't wait on prison grounds, they have to find a place to stay and most prisons are in isolated areas.
It shouldn’t be this hard.
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Steps to Visiting a Loved One in a New York State Prison
Review visit calendar
Request time off work
Arrange care of loved ones or pets
Ensure appropriate clothes - bras, zippers, etc. can set off metal detectors & terminate the visit
Bring an acceptable form of ID
Have a notarized letter for children traveling with a guardian plus their birth certificates
Prepare care package for the loved one
Go to ATM to get cash for van and vending
Gather snacks for children for the hours-long ride
Meet the van at 11:00 pm
Travel to prison
Follow COVID protocol
Maintain 6 feet of distance
Do not be late
Subject yourself to canine searches, which can be sexually humiliating and intrusive.
Mentally prepare yourself to potentially be disrespected by guards
