Four states currently allow conjugal visits: California, New York, Washington, and Connecticut. The federal Bureau of Prisons does not offer them at any facility. Each state program goes by a different name, sets its own eligibility rules, and universally excludes people convicted of sex offenses, those in high-security custody, and anyone with recent disciplinary problems. Connecticut’s version is the narrowest of the four, requiring a minor child to be part of every visit.
California: The Family Visiting Program
California’s program is governed by Title 15, Section 3177 of the California Code of Regulations. Visits take place in private apartment-style units on prison grounds and last roughly 30 to 40 hours. Eligible family members include spouses, registered domestic partners, parents, children, siblings, and people with a verified foster relationship.1California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Types of Visits
How often an incarcerated person can host a visit depends on their privilege group. Those in the highest behavioral tier can schedule as often as openings allow; those in a lower group are limited to one visit every six months. Visits can be booked up to 90 days in advance, and waitlists are common. The accommodations themselves are free, but families pay for their own meals.
People on death row, those convicted of sex offenses, those in reception centers, and anyone under disciplinary restrictions are excluded.
New York: The Family Reunion Program
New York’s Family Reunion Program is detailed in Title 7, Part 220 of the New York Codes, Rules and Regulations.2Legal Information Institute (LII). NY Comp Codes R and Regs Tit 7, Ch IV, Pt 220 – Family Reunion Program The eligible visitor list is broader than most people assume. Beyond spouses and domestic partners, it can include parents, children, siblings, grandchildren, and certain in-law relationships, though in-law visits require special review and are not automatically approved.
To qualify, the incarcerated person and each proposed visitor must have an established visiting pattern, defined as at least three non-FRP visits within the prior twelve months. The requirement is waived for visitors who are elderly, minors, have a disability, or live more than 300 miles from the facility. Visitors who are themselves on parole or probation need written approval from their supervising officer before taking part.
Washington: Extended Family Visits
Washington’s Extended Family Visit program is built for people serving long sentences and is framed as both a reentry tool and a behavioral incentive.3Washington State Department of Corrections. Extended Family Visit Resource Guide for Families Visits can last up to 48 hours and may be scheduled no more frequently than once every 30 days. Eligible visitors include spouses, state-registered domestic partners, children, parents, siblings, grandparents, and several other categories of immediate family defined by state law. In-laws are not eligible.4WA.gov. Extended Family Visits Fact Sheet
Washington bars anyone in maximum or close custody, anyone in restricted housing, and anyone with a domestic violence history involving a relationship similar to the one proposed for the visit. Someone convicted of domestic violence against a former partner, for example, would be barred from visits with a current spouse. The incarcerated person must have spent at least six months at a DOC facility before even submitting an application.
Connecticut: Visits Must Include a Child
Connecticut’s Extended Family Visit program is often lumped in with the other three, but it works differently. Every visit must include a minor child of the incarcerated person, accompanied by an approved adult family member. The program is built around maintaining parent-child bonds rather than spousal intimacy.5Connecticut General Assembly. Extended Family Visits in Prison
Visits last 24 hours. Inmates may have up to four per year, spaced at least 90 days apart, and there is a $10 participation fee. Inmates in restrictive status, close custody, or identified as security risk group members (such as gangs) are excluded, as are those with serious disciplinary violations in the preceding one to two years.
Federal Inmates Are Not Eligible
The federal Bureau of Prisons does not permit conjugal visits at any facility, regardless of the offense or the inmate’s behavioral record.6Federal Bureau of Prisons. General Visiting Information This is one of the most frequent points of confusion for families of federal inmates. Standard in-person visits exist, and the BOP runs background checks on proposed visitors through the National Crime Information Center database, but those visits happen in supervised common areas with no overnight component.7U.S. Department of Justice – Federal Bureau of Prisons. Program Statement 5267.09 – Visiting Regulations If the person is in federal custody, extended family visits are not an option.
States That Ended Their Programs
Conjugal visits used to be available in more states. Mississippi is widely credited with introducing them to the modern U.S. prison system in the early twentieth century, but the state ended its program on February 1, 2014. The corrections commissioner cited the expense of maintaining the program and the staffing burden of supervising it. New Mexico ended its program a few months later, on May 1, 2014, after a convicted murderer serving a life sentence fathered multiple children through the program, drawing public scrutiny. South Carolina and Minnesota ran programs at earlier points and discontinued them years ago.
The trend has been one-directional. No state has launched a new program in recent memory, and the four remaining programs continue partly on the strength of research tying family contact during incarceration to lower reoffending rates. A large-scale study of roughly 7,000 state prisoners found that those who received at least one visit in the year before release had 30.7% lower odds of recidivism compared to those who were never visited.
Who Qualifies
Eligibility differs by state, but the structure is consistent. The incarcerated person must meet behavioral and classification standards, the visitor must prove the relationship and pass screening, and certain offenses disqualify an applicant automatically.
Requirements for the Incarcerated Person
Every state requires a clean disciplinary record, though the lookback period varies. Connecticut demands no serious disciplinary violations for one to two years. California ties eligibility to a privilege-group classification that reflects ongoing behavior. Washington requires at least six months at a DOC facility before application.4WA.gov. Extended Family Visits Fact Sheet In every state, the incarcerated person must be in general population at a lower custody level. Anyone in maximum security, close custody, restricted housing, or solitary confinement is excluded.
Automatic Disqualifiers
People convicted of sex offenses are universally barred. California also excludes anyone on death row.1California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Types of Visits Washington bars anyone with a domestic violence conviction from visiting with someone in a similar relationship to the one involved in the offense.4WA.gov. Extended Family Visits Fact Sheet Connecticut excludes identified security risk group members.5Connecticut General Assembly. Extended Family Visits in Prison
Requirements for Visitors
Visitors must prove their relationship through official documents. Washington, for instance, requires birth certificates, marriage licenses, domestic partnership certificates, adoption papers, or other court-issued documentation of direct lineage, plus a government-issued photo ID.3Washington State Department of Corrections. Extended Family Visit Resource Guide for Families Most programs also require an established visiting history before applying for extended visits. Washington requires six visits in the prior twelve months, including at least one in person.4WA.gov. Extended Family Visits Fact Sheet New York requires three non-reunion visits in the same period. Visitors on parole, probation, or supervised release need written permission from their supervising officer.
How Visits Can Be Lost
Approval is not permanent. The most common cause of revocation is a disciplinary infraction by the incarcerated person. A single serious write-up can end eligibility immediately; lesser infractions may trigger a suspension. Washington’s domestic violence screening is ongoing, so a change in the incarcerated person’s record can disqualify them even after initial approval.
Visitor conduct carries the same weight. Attempting to bring in prohibited items, including drugs, weapons, needles, or unauthorized electronics, can result in immediate termination of the visit, a permanent ban, and criminal charges. Disruptive behavior or failure to follow facility rules produces the same result. Substance abuse violations are treated especially harshly. Connecticut requires a urine test of the incarcerated person when the visit ends; a positive result leads to suspension and potential permanent loss of the privilege.5Connecticut General Assembly. Extended Family Visits in Prison Washington treats drug or alcohol use during a visit as grounds for termination and sanctions.
External changes also matter. A new criminal charge, a reclassification to higher custody, or a facility-wide lockdown can suspend visits with little notice. These decisions sit with prison administrators and are rarely disturbed by courts, which have given corrections officials broad discretion over visitation policies.