Dr. Boppre, who received her Ph.D. from the University of Nevada at Las Vegas, became interested in this research through her personal experience of having incarcerated parents. While going through this process, Boppre noticed that the visitation process in the corrections system is not the most family-oriented or child-friendly. Communicating with incarcerated loved ones can be difficult, as phone calls can cost over $1 per minute and prisons are often located in rural areas. She recalls instances when her family would have to travel five hours and reserve a hotel room to visit her father in rural areas. Her family could afford the expenses, but people who are incarcerated disproportionately enter from economically disadvantaged backgrounds and their families are left with significant financial burdens to maintaining contact. Her experience as a visitor in the corrections system strongly influenced her decision to research how correctional institutes handled COVID-19. Through her experience, she knew that the corrections system had to maneuver through a unique path when it came to contact with the outside world.
From severe lockdowns to staff being exposed to COVID-19, Boppre has already found some interesting reports from family members she interviewed for her ongoing research. Participants reported suspension on programs and their incarcerated loved ones having to choose between showering or calling home once a week. Based upon others’ research, she also discovered that incarcerated people are more than five times more likely to contract COVID and more than three times more likely to die from covid than individuals outside of correctional facilities. Staff also face increased risks to contract the virus. Boppre plans to further examine policy changes during the pandemic and shed light on what is happening inside these facilities with her internal grant.
With her ongoing research, Boppre’s goal is to change how families of incarcerated individuals are treated, saying, “My ultimate goal is really to improve visitation processes and reduce those barriers to communicate among families.”
Boppre’s research will open conversations about treatment at correctional facilities. This research has the opportunity to affect policy and give the public a different look inside these correctional institutions and their processes. We are excited to see the outcome of her research and the impact it will make in the corrections field.
###