How to Marry Someone Who is in Jail?

In most cases, marrying someone in prison is discouraged. Statistics say that prison marriages fail at an even higher rate than other marriages. That being said, there are reasons why people get married to prisoners, including facilitating the care and adoption of children. And there are legal procedures of mobile marriages in Los Angeles, including jail marriages.

Let’s be talking about the legal steps taken and things to consider while opting for a mobile marriage.

How to marry a prisoner?

• Regulations for marrying a prisoner vary from prison to prison. However, most institutions require a Marriage Packet Request to get permission to marry the prisoner. To accomplish this, simply have your fiancé make an inmate request for a marriage packet.
• Once the forms are completed by both of you, you'll need to send it back to the prison facility with the requested fees. This runs between $150 and $175 on average and usually needs to be sent through a money order or cheque or draft.
• There are also mandatory documents you'll need to have in order to prove that you are of legal age to marry and that you are a citizen in the country you wish to marry.
• Some institutions will also require that you provide a copy of your birth certificate or other identity proofs.

Go for counseling and marriage reviews

• Most often, marrying someone in prison is discouraged. Therefore, it's recommended to talk with others who have married prisoners, so that you have an understanding of how difficult the role may be for you long-term.
• This will also help you realize that, upon your spouse's release from prison, the two of you will each have to make major life-changing adjustments.
• Unfortunately, there is an alarming divorce rate. It also means that getting married to a prisoner involves jumping through a lot of legal hoops and possibly experiencing moments of heartache.

How to plan the wedding?

• To put together the wedding, you'll need to work with a Family Visiting Coordinator. This will be your contact for arranging the wedding once permission has been received to marry the prisoner.
• Then, you'll choose an officiant. Your prison will most likely give you a list of approved pastors to choose from. Be prepared for their fees and how to pay them at the ceremony, which is most traditionally with a money order.
• You'll also need a witness for the wedding. Simply bring a guest who is on your fiance's approved visitor list.
• Alternatively, you can use one of the inmates who work in the visiting area.
• Finally, you'll need a marriage certificate which will also require a fee. Depending on the prison facility's regulations, you may be allowed time together after the ceremony for wedding pictures accompanied by a short and private visit together, though most of the prisons don’t allow the same.

Get a license

• Every state requires potential spouses to obtain a marriage license prior to becoming legally married. This requirement is not waived because one potential spouse is in prison.
• Contact the warden or other appropriate official of the prison in which the inmate is housed to learn the process for obtaining this license. Often, the non-incarcerated potential spouse will be tasked with this.

Prison’s guidelines must be followed

 Prison officials will likely be standing by during your ceremony to ensure that no rules are broken, but it is best to talk to the officials to know what is and is not allowed. Following these guidelines, and the abovementioned ones, mobile marriages in Los Angeles are pursued.