Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (DOC) announced today that the department set a record in 2024 for the number of visits conducted between the incarcerated population and their loved ones. Maintenance of family and community ties stabilizes an incarcerated individual’s institutional adjustment and supports successful reentry. A recent department analysis demonstrated that receiving any type of visit lowered recidivism, with those receiving video visits slightly outperforming those who received in-person visits.
Individuals incarcerated at the DOC’s 24 facilities participated in a total of 986,337 video and in-person visits in 2024 – four percent more than in 2023 and 377 percent more total visits than in 2019, before video visitation was widely implemented.
| Visit Type | 2019 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Video Visits Conducted | 476,495 | 787,493 | 862,637 | 893,304 | |
| In-Person Visits Conducted | 206,758 | 35,024 | 64,895 | 81,949 | 93,033 |
| Total Visits Conducted | 206,758 | 511,519 | 852,478 | 944,586 | 986,337 |
| Avg. Number of Visits Per Inmate | 4.5 | 13.7 | 22.4 | 24.3 | 25 |
While some states charge for video visitation, the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections makes the service available at no cost to inmates or their visitors.
“The numbers show that video visitation continues to be a popular way for families and friends across the state and beyond to keep in touch with their incarcerated loved ones in Pennsylvania,” said Dr. Laurel R. Harry, Secretary of Corrections. At the same time, we’re seeing more in-person visitors to our facilities, setting a record for the total number of visits per inmate.”
State-sentenced inmates are permitted up to four in-person visits and six video visits each month. More information on how to schedule a visit, as well as visiting rules, is available at cor.pa.gov.
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