New York – Frequent prison transfers are highly disruptive, upending lives and pushing incarcerated people farther from their loved ones, according to a study by Iolanthe Brooks of the Prison Policy Initiative.
The report finds that both before and after the pandemic, New York’s state prison system averaged more than 3,000 transfers per month, with 2022 seeing an average of 3,167 monthly transfers. In January alone, more than 70% of New York prisons transferred at least half of their populations to other facilities. Only a “small number” of these transfers involved moving incarcerated parents closer to their children, the study notes.
Increased distance from home significantly reduces the likelihood of visitation, the Prison Policy Initiative reports.
While requested transfers brought incarcerated New Yorkers an average of 147 miles closer to home, the report states that “most transfers have little impact on distance from home.”
The report also details the emotional and physical toll of frequent transfers. Incarcerated individuals describe the importance of friendships and peer networks for maintaining a sense of safety and stability. Constant transfers, the study warns, can disrupt these relationships and intensify the stress and anxiety of incarceration.
“Each move upends nearly every aspect of an incarcerated person’s life, including peer networks, familiarity with officers, institutional culture, rules, housing configurations (e.g., cells vs. dorms), and program and job opportunities,” the report states.
While some transfers can be beneficial — such as moving someone to a safer facility, closer to home, or to one with a lower security classification — every transfer nonetheless creates significant change in an individual’s life, the study emphasizes.
“Because transfers upend nearly every aspect of incarcerated life, the first few weeks in a new prison can be especially difficult — and even dangerous,” the report states.
The transfer process itself is also harsh. Incarcerated people are required to pack all their belongings, undergo invasive searches, and endure long bus rides while being “restrictively shackled,” according to the report. First-hand accounts describe limited access to food and bathrooms, along with uncomfortable seating during transport.
Although prison transfers are a routine part of incarceration, the report notes they receive little attention from researchers, policymakers, or the general public.
“Transfers disrupt relationships that are essential to prison safety and stability,” the report adds. “These relationships can not only provide mentorship and care but also a helping hand during reentry, and are the crucial building blocks of incarcerated organizing.”
