Marriage in Prison — Ask the Inmate
Getting married while incarcerated is possible but the process varies significantly by facility, jurisdiction, and security level. Some facilities actively facilitate inmate marriages. Others make it extremely difficult. This section covers how to request permission to marry an incarcerated person, what the facility approval process typically looks like, what documentation is required, how the ceremony is conducted, what legal rights a prison marriage carries, and what practical considerations families should think through before pursuing marriage during incarceration. The questions answered here come from people in real relationships navigating this decision with limited information. The guidance is practical and honest about both the possibilities and the challenges. Marriage during incarceration can be a meaningful source of stability and commitment for both parties when approached with clear eyes and realistic expectations. See also our sections on Visitation, Relationship Issues, and Family Services.
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There are several instituitons that allow inmates to marry. The state and federal facilities do for long term inmates. This is a county facility and we doubt they will. You should call the facility and ask to speak to the chaplain.
Read moreNo, no place will allow an inmate to marry with a 60 sentence.
Read moreIt is possible but not guaranteed, and the answer depends heavily on why he is there. Not every detention facility allows marriages to take place, and the ones that do have specific rules about who is eligible and how the process works. If he is being held as an ICE detainee, the situation is more complicated. Immigration authorities typically do not permit detained individuals to marry while in immigration custody because it can be viewed as an attempt to
Read moreThe facilities that allow for inmate marriages are mostly state and federal prison facilities for inmates that have reasonably long sentences. The INS detainees are usually in the privately run detention centers. We do not think that there are provisions for inmate marriage there, but we encourage you to call the facility and ask to speak with a case manager or chaplain to get all the details. We would not mention the part about "so he doesn't get deported".
Read moreSome federal facilities allow inmates to wed, but we are uncertain if the private prison groups like CCA or GEO allow them. We do not think they allow them but we encourage you to call there and ask to speak with a case manager, they will have the correct answer for you. 505-285-4900
Read moreWe don't think it will be easy or inexpensive. There will be court filings and maybe an appearance before a judge, at least one time . The facility will not allow you to go into civil court for a divorce. Our advise is to wait until you both are released.
Read moreIt depends upon where the inmate is incarcerated and how long they have on their sentence. If he is awaiting transfer, the county jail will not perform a marriage but the chaplain at the state or federal facility might.
Read moreYou may marry an inmate is many of the institutions. There are some stipulations and requirements. We encourage you to call the chaplain at the facility and ask whether this is allowed there or not. Also, your inmate cannot be a "short-timer" as they will encourage you to wait until they are released. Your will need to file for a marriage license.
Read moreYes you can in some cases, it depends where they are incarcerated and how much time they have remaining on their sentence. You should read some of the other questions/answers we have posted in "Ask the Inmate" within this category. If you have a question that was not covered, we will be happy to answer it for you.
Read moreWe are not sure about this. We know that they do not allow same-sex conjugal visits where they still have them. We would advise you to really think hard about the potential side effects to the inmate because of the controversial nature. We just think that the jail environment is the wrong setting to try something that is against the grain. We are not opposed, we just think you might be better to wait until your inmate is released.
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