In the United Kingdom, child contact with the imprisoned parent is seen as a right of the child rather than as a right of the prisoner. Further, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child can be directly applied to prisoners' children. Research in Australia indicates that good relationships between prisoners and their children are essential and that longer visits are more effective than shorter visits. Research in New Zealand shows that parole for male prisoners is more successful when inmates maintain strong family ties and receive frequent family visits. Research in Scotland confirms that prisoners are concerned about maintaining links with their families. Additional research in the United Kingdom indicates that lack of contact between prisoners and children jeopardizes the chances of families being reunited after prisoners are released. Implications of the research findings for policy and practice are discussed. 25 references