Prisoner Visitation and Support (PVS)

Mission: To provide prisoners with regular, face to face contact from the world outside of prison to help them cope with prison life, encourage personal growth, and prepare for successful reentry into society.

Prisoner Visitation and Support (PVS) was founded in 1968, carrying forward a Quaker tradition of caring for prisoners. Its primary mission was to provide visits and support to imprisoned conscientious objectors to the Vietnam War. However, it soon became apparent that other prisoners could benefit from this service.To this day, PVS remains the only interfaith, volunteer visitation program in the United States authorized by both of these organizations to visit all federal and military prisons.

Prisoner Visitation and Support provides regular, personal visits to prisoners in federal and military facilities, focusing on individuals who are isolated or unlikely to receive other visitors. PVS volunteers engage in meaningful conversations that offer emotional support, a listening ear, and companionship to prisoners, helping them maintain hope and connection to the outside world. The program also helps prisoners develop trust and encourages rehabilitation by providing a non-judgmental, supportive presence. Through these visits, PVS seeks to reduce isolation and improve the well-being of incarcerated individuals.