-Yes, it was basically my country's equivalent of this - you're being vetted (basically no convictions; no associating), are being briefed on what not to discus

-Yes, it was basically my country's equivalent of this - you're being vetted (basically no convictions; no associating), are being briefed on what not to discuss with whoever you end up visiting, then you get scheduled visits at regular intervals. Once the inmate is released, you're not supposed to stay in touch - though in the small town I lived in at the time, you were bound to bump into each other on the street every now and then; when we did, the rule was that the former inmate initiated contact if he'd like to have a coffee or just say hi - after all, it could quickly become awkward if I greeted someone and their company asked where we'd met, for instance. Most interesting, if nothing else I came to realise that just about anyone could end up doing something which landed them in prison. (Plus, inmates make for excellent conversation partners - after all, they have all the time in the world to ponder all sorts of things.)