The state of Georgia is known for its mass incarceration and prison system that function poorly, leaving inmates in squalid and dehumanizing conditions. Conditions so disgusting that many would hesitate to step foot inside. As a concerned citizen, I believe in addressing this issue by advocating for family visits and conjugal visits for inmates. This approach may not only improve the conditions within prisons but also contribute significantly to reducing mass incarceration rates.

Introducing family visits will play a crucial role in maintaining the mental well-being of inmates and their families. Many inmates suffer from PTSD and other mental illnesses due to the harsh realities of prison life. Allowing scheduled visits from family and intimate partners can offer emotional relief and stability, which are crucial for rehabilitation. The emotional support from family visits can also aid inmates in reintegrating into society post-release, reducing the likelihood of reoffending.

Moreover, family visits provide a sense of hope and motivation for inmates to pursue positive behavior, which could help the parole board assess who is genuinely eligible for parole. It also allows inmates who've been released to reconnect with their family and healing, thus curbing the cyclical nature of reincarceration.

With a comprehensive family visit program, we can humanize the prison system and show that rehabilitation is possible, reforming not only individuals but the system itself. International examples indicate that regions allowing family visits see improvement in inmate behavior and mental health, as well as lower rates of recidivism.

The proposed benefits of family visits, asoutlined in the petition, include:

• Rehabilitation and Purpose forInmates:
• Family visits provide inmates with a reason and purpose to improve themselves, fostering a structured environment that encourages personal growth and accountability.
  Improved Mental Health: The program aims to address the mental health challenges inmates face, such as PTSD, depression, and chronic stress, by creating a supportive and structured environment.
  Reconnection with Families:
• Family visits allow inmates to reconnect with their families,particularly their children, which can help reintroduce parents into their children's lives in a healthy and structured manner.
  Support for Foster Children: The program could provide structure and support for children in foster care, potentially reducing abuse andneglect by enabling incarcerated parents to play a positive role in their lives.
• Reduction in Recidivism: By teaching inmates life skills, work ethics, and providing mental health support, the program aims tore dice reincarceration rates and help inmates reintegrate into society successfully.
  Safety for Guards and Inmates: Giving inmates something to lookforward to, such as family visits, mayimprove their behavior and create asafer environment within prisons.
• Economic and Social Benefits: The program emphasizes teaching inmates the value of hard work and contributing to society, which could reduce the financial burden onto payers and improve societal outcomes.

                The debt to be paid back

    May be paid  in the way ,if inmate wants to get into this program and they have any drug charges

They would have to sponsor a kid who was removed from a home of parents that were addicted to drugs. They would never know the kid that they sponsor, but this gives these children who was removed and went through so much a chance to have something when they graduate, or leave DCFS custody or high school at $100 a month should be set aside out from the inmates check (until inmate is released)

While in this program, the inmate has to hold a job. They cannot borrow money from family family cannot put money on their books if they lose their job and they cannot find another one. They will have to be removed from the program. You have to have a stable income to be able to be in the program and to pay on your own without depending on your family.

Now questions for the people that are reading the petition and too the government will be how would this be paid for? 

This will be paid for by the inmates by removing the narrative that prisons are free labor ,paying the inmates accordingly to what a regular job will pay and by doing so the inmate would have to pay $400 a month to be inside the program once they start receiving a Job

For Housing, they have tiny sheds that run from 5000 to 10,000

It is the one time Help from family..

family would not be able to help with the monthly intake that the inmates would have to pay

The jobs offered too inmates 

Could be local jobs the following cleaning up abandoned houses, farmers that don’t have enough workers for their crops, clean up roadways

Contractors that need more workers and that are willing to work with certain inmates

Sign this petition to urge the State of Georgia to consider implementing family and conjugal visits for inmates. Such measures can foster a healthier, more humane correctional environment and mitigate the issue of mass incarceration while helping inmates transition back into society successfully.

link https://wagingnonviolence.org/rs/2023/01/how-an-international-tribunal-70-years-in-the-making-found-the-u-s-guilty-of-genocide/