ABSTRACT
Carceral communication, or the contact maintained between persons incarcerated and members of their external social network, is often ripe with emotion for various reasons. This communication is paradoxical in that it has the ability to reignite lost connections and strengthen those that already exist, but at the same time, it can resurface tension and even trigger negative emotional reactions from each member of the relationship. The increased emotionality of attempting to communicate while one member of a relationship is incarcerated could be due to the fact that confinement produces deprivations, particularly in relation to straining relationships with family and friends. However, investigation of the emotional nature of communication between carceral residents and their loved ones during the confinement period is underexplored. Therefore, the case study examined in this chapter explores the emotions present in visitation contact between women who are incarcerated in jail and members of their external social network (e.g., family and friends). Using a mixed methods approach within one jail, semi-structured interviews and surveys were conducted with 13 women residents. The scope of this chapter provides deeper insight into the emotional nature of women's visitation experiences with their loved ones.
