Prisoner Visitation and Support (PVS) is a non-profit organization based in Philadelphia. Trained PVS volunteers visit prisoners in the United States Federal Prison system and military prisons. They offer companionship and friendship, with no religious or other agenda. Their particular focus is prisoners who don't receive regular visits, are facing long sentences, and/or are in

solitary confinement Solitary confinement is a form of imprisonment in which the inmate lives in a single cell with little or no meaningful contact with other people. A prison may enforce stricter measures to control contraband on a solitary prisoner and use additi ...

. PVS visitors come from a variety of religious and non-religious backgrounds, and the organization is supported by a wide variety of religious groups. Since 1972, PVS has enjoyed blanket permission from the Federal Bureau of Prisons to visit at all federal prisons and with any federal prisoner in the United States. In 1975, the Department of Defense granted PVS similar access to all military prisons. Prisoner Visitation and Support was founded in 1968 by long-time prison visitors and activists

Fay Honey Knopp Fay "Honey" Knopp ( Irving, August 15, 1918 – August 10, 1995) was an American Quaker minister, peace and civil rights advocate, and prison abolitionist. Early life and education Fay Birdie Irving was born on August 15, 1918 in Bridgeport, Co ...

and

Bob Horton Bob, BOB, or B.O.B. may refer to: Places *Mount Bob, New York, United States *Bob Island, Palmer Archipelago, Antarctica People, fictional characters, and named animals *Bob (given name), a list of people and fictional characters *Bob (surname) ...

, in part as a support to conscientious objectors and other draft resisters in the Federal system. As the Vietnam era ended and conscientious objectors were released, the group's mission expanded to embrace all federal and military prisoners in need of support and visitation.

References

External links

Prisoner Visitation and Support (PVS) official web site
Prisons in the United States Prison-related organizations {{Org-stub