Long Waits, Hostile Staff: Prison Mulakats Take a Toll on Family Members of Those Incarcerated TISS researchers have documented experiences of over 120 incarcerated persons, their families and prison officials over a period spanning seven months. Representative photo: Public domain Rights28/Dec/2020 Mumbai: Family members of incarcerated persons donât have it easy. From waiting in long queues to jostling inside the crammed mulakat (visitors’) room inside the prison and a hostile prison staff, the family members have to struggle a great deal to ensure a meeting that may not last longer than a few minutes. In a detailed study conducted across four states â Delhi, Haryana, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu â the plight of prisonersâ family members has been documented in great detail. The study titled âPrisonersâ contact with their families: Procedures, practices and experiencesâ has been conducted by Prayas, a field action project of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences. Prayas has documented experiences of over 120 incarcerated persons, their families and prison officials over a period spanning seven months.