The literature review indicated that those prisoners who had regular visits from their families made better post-prison adjustments and were more successful in their parole experiences than were those who did not have visitors. 895 institutions in 50 States, 4 U.S. territories, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and the District of Columbia responded to the survey. The survey responses also indicated that most correctional institutions place a high value on family visits. Private family visits, or conjugal visits, occurred in 18 jurisdictions, although few jurisdictions expressed interest in creating new programs for private family visits. Many prisons are overcrowded and do not have much space to allocate for prison visits. The study concludes that while those jurisdictions permitting private or conjugal visits feel the positive value of such visits outweigh problems and inconveniences, few new jurisdictions will undertake similar programs in the future. 20 references.