Far from loved ones

The bonds between the incarcerated individual and their loved ones deteriorate throughout imprisonment.

Factors contributing to this erosion include facilities’ locations far from urban centres with difficult access, strict visiting hours, high costs, and often harsh visiting conditions. Visits may take place in individual booths or communal spaces, with complaints about the lack of privacy being common. The duration of visits varies, ranging from twenty minutes
to several hours. In some cases, visits occur on either side of a thick glass partition, inhibiting physical contact and rendering verbal communication barely audible.

In France, Spain, and Argentina, dedicated spaces for couples’ visits are provided, with individuals required to provide proof of enduring relationships. In Romania, married or long-term couples are entitled to conjugal visits lasting two hours every three months. In Belgium, family members report unsanitary facilities and claim to face judgment from staff.

The incarcerated individual is often imprisoned hundreds of kilometres away from their loved ones, in locations inaccessible by public transportation. This distance leads to a decrease in visits, significant expenses, and car accidents.

Female prisoners experience greater isolation compared to their male counterparts. Some serve their entire sentences without seeing their families.

Family members undergo rigorous security checks to enter the facilities. In Spain, the law permits strip searches of visitors suspected of concealing illicit items. Visitors who refuse to comply are denied entry. In various countries, personnel conduct body scans, with trouser buttons, jewellery, and zippers triggering alarms. Women often dress in the simplest attire possible (tracksuits, sweatshirts, sneakers) to ensure they can visit their incarcerated loved ones. In France, bra underwires trigger detector alarms, leading some women to remove them in communal areas. Security checks also target incarcerated individuals, with strip searches conducted after visits. Despite being intended as rare occurrences, these searches are widespread.