Throughout the pandemic, prisons have been closed out of necessity. During this time of lockdown, isolation, and fear, Prisoner Visitation and Support (PVS) visitors have maintained close contact with prisoners through letter writing. PVS visitors have found themselves creatively keeping an open line of contact with prisoners—some even learning sufficient Spanish to write to Latinx prisoners. More than 400 visitors offer friendship and a listening ear, which can help prisoners with personal growth and the developing of peaceful strategies to cope with prison life.
An important part of PVS training holds that each prisoner has worth and potential and that no one is defined by their crimes. One prisoner who has been visited regularly over 20 years by PVS volunteers recently commented: “Being able to say it out loud is liberating. Being able to say it out loud to someone who really cares makes all the difference.”
Learn more: Prisoner Visitation and Support
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