Conjugal Visits in prisons in Ohio would make a great impact on inmates and their families. A husband and wife (along with their children) need to connect and bond on a much more emotional level.
Research supporting conjugal visits indicates that allowing inmates to spend time with partners and loved ones strengthen family bonds, reduces violence, and creates safer prison environments.
Conjugal/family visits should be available to inmates of all security levels, including inmates at OSP, where some are assigned to Extended Restricted Housing(ERH) for 10 or more years, regardless of good behavior since their placement offense occurred.
One 2012 study found that in states where conjugal visits are not allowed, prisons had more than four times as many incidents of sexual violence between inmates as facilities in states where they were allowed. That study also pointed to the familial benefits conjugal visits could bring, "improving the functioning of a marriage by maintaining an inmate's role as husband or wife, improve the inmate's behavior while incarcerated, counter the effects of prisonization, and improve post-release success by enhancing the inmate's ability to maintain ties with his or her family." Researchers also noted the possibility of reducing sexually transmitted diseases by reducing inmate-to-inmate contact.

Prohibiting conjugal visits contributes to the promotion of homosexuality within the prisons, especially because in most prisons, inmates are not allowed to purchase pornographic material to satisfy their heterosexual needs. Also, regardless of PREA being passed, most inmates will not utilize the available resources for fear of retaliation or exposure from other inmates and/or prison staff. Conjugal visits will drastically reduce rape within the systems, as well violence. Typically, lifers have nothing to lose, so they continue to act up and break rules. If lifers are included in conjugal/family visits, this will promote good behavior and give them something positive to work towards and look forward to, and give them some sense of normalcy outside of a lifetime of incarceration.

Conjugal visits are not only about sex, for an inmate to have private family time with immediate family will strengthen the bonds of families, and their children while their loved one is incarcerated. Having a loved one incarcerated is difficult, but losing physical contact, hugs, kisses, and family time is very difficult for both parties. To allow private family time will keep a family bond strong, which is not only important for family on the outside but extremely important for the inmate. These visits will also give the incarcerated parent opportunities to parent and raise their children and have a say in their upbringing.

A young child should be able to bond with their parent in private with their family. This is very important for young children, this is when children develop bonds with both parents, an inmate should not have to have that taken away from them due to their incarceration.

Of course, there will be many precautions laid out to ensure the safety of the prison staff and the visiting party, that may include all or some of the following:
1. Emergency call buttons that only the visitors and staff are aware of.
2. Emergency call bracelets (that if removed or if the button is pressed alert prison staff immediately) worn by everyone in the visiting party
3. Guard(s) stationed outside the visiting cabins/trailer paid for by the visitor and possibly the inmate.
Additional safety measures to be implemented will include monitoring visitations between inmates and their significant other/family members. Visitors and inmates that are seeking approval of conjugal/family visits will be closely monitored during their visitations to ensure positive and healthy interactions between all parties involved. This monitoring time period will depend on the inmate's security level. Any loved one seeking to participate in the conjugal/family visit program must be consistent (at least once a month) in visiting the inmate to ensure that prison officials have an accurate assessment of the behavior between visitor and inmate.

Thank you in advance for signing this petition and for taking the time to read it. Your support is greatly appreciated.