Can Prison Relationships Be Maintained While You’re Inside?
There are different types of romantic relationships when you’re in prison and they’re all difficult.
When I first realized going to prison was inevitable, regardless of my innocence, one of the biggest things I feared wasn’t anything that I thought would happen to me while I was inside exactly. It wasn’t fear of other inmates or correctional officers, or even the injustice of the situation. I wondered if, would I be able to keep my marriage going for almost six years without physically being with my wife?
Prison relationships are notoriously difficult to maintain and often, even strong marriages end in divorce while inmates are locked up or shortly after being released. I even considered breaking up my marriage before I left, not because I didn't want to be with my wife. Quite the opposite actually. I felt horrible for what we were both about to go through and didn’t want her to feel stuck in a situation she had zero control over, so in my mind, briefly at least, I thought I should release her from feeling committed to sticking around.
No worries, she quickly reminded me it wasn’t my place to release her from what she promised to do. Be there for me, in sickness and in health, through all the bullshit.
