Rosie O'Donnell Hopeful After Visiting Daughter Chelsea in Prison

Rosie O'Donnell got a firsthand look at how daughter Chelsea is doing behind bars ... and she likes what she's seeing.

Rosie recently visited her daughter in prison and later shared an emotional update to Instagram on Friday through poetry ... revealing the reunion left her feeling hopeful. She said Chelsea asked for the visit herself, and while bad weather reportedly cut their time together short, the experience still made a big impact.

According to Rosie, Chelsea appeared healthy, clear-headed and focused on her future. Rosie added that they now speak every day -- a positive sign after years of highly publicized family struggles.

As TMZ previously reported, Rosie asked fans for prayers after Chelsea was sent to prison for violating the terms of her probation. At the time, Rosie shared a photo of her daughter and wrote that addiction had "taken over her life," while expressing concern about the "scary future" Chelsea faced.

Now, Rosie says sobriety appears to be helping her daughter find her footing again. She shared that Chelsea is working on herself and expressed hope she'll eventually be reunited with her own children once she's released.