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To: MP's, Government
Conjugal visits in the UK
Approximately 80,000 people in the UK have a partner incarcerated in a British jail. With a limited number of visits per month, typically lasting for a maximum of 1 hour each, prison can have an almost instantaneously damaging effect on a marriage or relationship.
In many countries across Europe conjugal visits operate SUCCESSFULLY. However, in the U.K it is not permitted. An advantage of conjugal visits is that prisoners tend to behave for fear of losing their right to a visit. But the biggest advantage is families suffer somewhat less than they currently do.
Conjugal visits are permitted in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Germany, India, Israel, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, France and Spain so why not in the UK?!
NORWAY ALLOWS CONJUGAL VISITS AND IT HAS THE LOWEST RE-OFFENDING RATE CURRENTLY STANDING AT 20%. IN COMPARISON, MORE THAN 60% OF BRITISH PRISONERS RELEASED AFTER SHORT SENTENCES RE-OFFEND WITHIN A YEAR OF BEING RELEASED!
Why is this important?
It is important because it would maintain family ties, bonds and connections giving the prisoner a reason to believe that the chances of returning to an ordinary family life is possible after their release from prison. They also provide an incentive to comply with the various rules and regulations while they are incarcerated.
