A conjugal visit is a scheduled period in which an inmate of a prison or jail is permitted to spend several hours or days in private with a visitor.
Conjugal visits usually take place in designated rooms or a structure provided for that purpose, such as a trailer or a small cabin.
Food is provided by the institution but paid for by the inmates and visitors, who are also responsible for cleaning the unit after the visit.
[citation needed] Conjugal visits of up to 72 hours with (including de facto) spouses or registered partners or relatives are permitted at least once every half year.
Visits last up to 72 hours and take place in mini-apartments consisting of two small rooms, a kitchen and a dining area.
In 2010, an inmate murdered his girlfriend and attempted suicide during a visit, leading to additional criticism of the lax security in German prisons.
[14][15] In January 2018, Madras High court allowed a two week conjugal visit to an inmate serving life term in Tamil Nadu prison for the "purpose of procreation".
According to a senior official, this decision was taken to keep the stress levels of inmates under control and ensure their re-entry into society, and this also fulfills a basic biological need.
Under this scheme, prisoners who exhibited good conduct would be allowed to spend two hours in private with their spouses after every two months.
Marie and Noel Murray, an anarchist married couple imprisoned for a 1976 murder, lost a 1991 appeal for conjugal rights.
[19] The Supreme Court ruled that the Constitutional right to beget children within marriage was suspended while a spouse was lawfully imprisoned.
Israel only extends this right to citizens of the state, while Palestinians and Gazans imprisoned in Israeli jails are denied conjugal visits.
[30] Following the ruling, the Province of Sindh was the first to adopt legislation providing conjugal visits for married prisoners within Jail premises.
[31] Human Rights Book 2010 reports that Conjugal visits are now available for Prisoners in all Provinces and Federal territories if they are male and married.
[32] Since homosexuality is considered a criminal offense in Pakistan and same-sex marriage is not recognized by law, this privilege applies only to heterosexual couples.
[citation needed] Jorja Leap, a professor of social welfare at the Luskin School of Public Affairs at the University of California, Los Angeles stated that criminologists believe allowing conjugal visits would build family ties and reduce recidivism.
[41] In January 2014, the head of the Mississippi Department of Corrections, Chris Epps, terminated the state conjugal program.