BLACKSBURG, Va. – Virginia Tech’s Center for Peace Studies and Violence Prevention - alongside Students for Sensible Drug Policy and The Humanization Project - held a presentation discussing the personal and community consequences of incarceration in Southwest Virginia.
The presentation, officially known as “Ripple effects cause tidal waves: Community impacts of prisons in Appalachia,” discussed how Southwest Virginia currently has the highest incarceration rate in the state.
The main topic was humanizing those who are behind bars to see them as more than an inmate.
“You would be amazed the knowledge, the skills, the personality and the talent that are behind those walls,” Nicole Deyo, CEO/Executive Director, Bending the Bars LLC and Foundation, said.
Panelists like Jared Rose, a peer recovery specialist, shared stories of isolation while incarcerated.
“You can imagine the state of mind that you would be in if none of your friends found you or sent a letter or were looking for you and thinking ‘what was I doing with my life?’”
According to The Humanization Project researcher Savannah Reitzel, ever since the COVID-19 pandemic, visitation rates have plummeted.
“96% of visits declined and 72% of families don’t visit their families anymore,” Reitzel said.
This leads to declining mental health both inside and outside of prison.
“You are more likely to be out in solitary confinement, to have violent incidents, to be withdrawn and not want to communicate and take part in rehabilitation programs,” Reitzel said. “The value of connection with friends and loved ones, both inside and outside the jail system and prison system, is just really really important for everyone.”