Rebuilding Lives. Strengthening Communities.

Reforms with Statewide Impact
Designate a family liaison officer to provide pre-release support to
prisoners and their families beginning at prisoner intake.
Recommendation
Issue
MAYORAL POLICY CAUCUS ON PRISONER REENTRY
68
Strict security precautions, long lines, and emotionally
tense situations at prisons preclude the development of a
cooperative relationship between correctional staff and
visiting family members. Such an environment contributes
to stressful and unsatisfying visits for both visitors
and prisoners, and presumably lowers job satisfaction
among correctional staff, already contending with highly
demanding job environments. 8
Solution
The Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) should
designate staff at each correctional institution to promote
the positive involvement of family members during
prisoners’ incarceration and in preparing for their release.
In New York and Texas, for instance, prisons employ
“family liaison officers” for this purpose. 9 Here in Illinois,
these family liaison officers would similarly help
facilitate family visits and act as a first point of contact for
families. Family liaison officers would not be correctional
officers. They would work with families as soon as a
relative enters prison to help them understand and
prepare for the psychological, environmental and practical
challenges both families and prisoners may encounter
when prisoners return home. They would be available at
institutions during visiting hours to answer questions.
Such resources could greatly reduce anxiety, and thus
ensure that families are in a better position to fully support
the reentry process.
“When my sons were incarcerated
on drug and burglary charges,
I didn’t really know anything
about the prison system. At first,
I didn’t even know the number
down there to call. But I wanted
to stay involved in their lives.”
Carolyn Nance
Mother of three sons, each of who have been
incarcerated in Illinois prisons