In Ohio, incarcerated individuals and their spouses are denied the opportunity for conjugal visits — moments of privacy, intimacy, and human connection that are proven to strengthen families and reduce recidivism.

Many other states allow these visits because they understand the importance of maintaining family bonds, supporting mental health, and encouraging rehabilitation. Love and connection should not be stripped away as part of a sentence.

If Ohio continues to deny prisoners the right to conjugal or family visits, countless families will keep suffering in silence. Without the ability to maintain healthy emotional and physical connections, relationships fall apart, children lose vital bonds with their parents, and inmates lose one of the strongest motivators to change — love and family. Studies show that states allowing family visits see lower recidivism rates and better rehabilitation outcomes. Denying this opportunity hurts not only the individuals inside but also their partners, their children, and entire communities that depend on stable, reunited families.

We’re calling on the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction to recognize the positive impact of family unity and to create a program that allows conjugal visits for eligible, married inmates under proper supervision and guidelines.

Families deserve the right to stay connected — emotionally, spiritually, and physically — because strong families create stronger communities. 

We urge the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction and state legislators to review current visitation policies and implement a Family Conjugal Visitation Program that prioritizes rehabilitation, family unity, and human dignity.

Thank you!