The protection of marriage and family has constitutional status and is particularly significant in the context of penal execution, as the fundamental right is severely restricted by deprivation of liberty. Since the establishment of the Prison Act, higher court rulings have repeatedly addressed issues related to ensuring a penal execution that respects the protection of marriage and family. With the federalism reform in 2006 and the adoption of state penal execution laws, a family- and marriage-friendly design of penal execution has become a central topic, especially concerning visitation regulations. The author has thoroughly examined the importance of family ties for reintegration and recidivism prevention, based on constitutional requirements and empirical life course research, and presents forward-looking solutions de lege lata and de lege ferenda. Based on a liberal rule-of-law orientation, a compelling concept for family-friendly penal execution design is developed.