There are states that allow conjugal visits.

People who maintain close ties with their spouses, partners, and family members are more likely to successfully reenter society upon release.There are a number of studies that support this conclusion.The trend is to do away with conjugal visits.Only a few states allow them.

A person in jail or prison can't spend time with their spouse or domestic partner.An extended family visit is an opportunity for the prisoner to spend time with his or her relatives and children, but it is also used as a ruse for conjugal visits.

Private time that a prisoner may spend with a spouse or a registered domestic partner is called a conjugal visit.The idea is to allow inmates to have sex with their spouses.Depending on the state's extended family visit program, it can be as little as one hour in Mississippi and as long as 48 hours in Washington.

When a prisoner is released after serving his or her sentence, states allow conjugal visits to recognize the benefit to the prisoner and the society at large.A prisoner who has maintained close family and spouse or partner relationships will have a stronger community to return to upon release, making the likelihood of successfully returning to society greater, and the draw of further criminal activity less powerful.Studies show that family visits are less likely to lead to violence in prisoners.

In 1993 there were 17 states with conjugal visitation programs.The number has dropped to six.California, Connecticut, Mississippi, New Mexico, and New York are the only states that allow conjugal visits.

Children and grandchildren can visit for extended periods in some states.Washington and California provide trailers or mobile homes on prison grounds for conjugal visits with spouses and extended family visits.

California is the only state that allows registered domestic partners of the same sex to visit.In 2007, California became the first state to allow same sex domestic partner visits.Canada, Mexico, Brazil, and Belgium allow same sex partners of prisoners to visit.

If the couple has legal parental rights and the child is present during the visit, Connecticut will allow same sex partners in civil unions to have familial visits.

An action was filed to force the prison to allow the prisoner to have an extended family visit with the woman and child he lived with before he was imprisoned.The California Supreme Court upheld the denial of his request because the couple was not married and the prisoner wasn't the father of the child.Both the prisoner and the woman were married to other people.California has shown some flexibility in defining a family member, but it was not flexible enough.

Privilege is given to prisoners who have shown good behavior during their time in prison.Several federal courts have held that prisoners don't have a right to conjugal visits.

Several lawsuits have been filed in federal and state courts by prisoners and their spouses.

All of these arguments have been rejected by the courts.

The US Supreme Court's decision striking down statutes outlawing sodomy between consenting adults is likely to cause prisoners and/or partners to file challenges to heterosexual spouse-only.There is a constitutional right to equal protection under the law.

Some states deny conjugal visits to inmates who are at risk for STDs.