Jessica and Craig From 'Prison Brides' Have Faced Hurdles — What's Their Relationship Status?
Will their marriage survive a huge international move and adapting to a whole new life? Doesn't seem easy.
Published Feb. 29 2024, 6:30 p.m. ET
Life and love work in mysterious ways. For some people, this means falling for an incarcerated prisoner. While it might be a unique situation, the pair can write to each other, schedule visitations, and even get married. The show Prison Brides captures more about their story.
Before his release, Craig is already married to Jessica who even moves from Australia to Kansas to be with him. It's clear that there are quite a few difficulties the pair need to overcome to have a successful relationship, which only leads to the question: Are they able to make it last?
Are Jessica and Craig from 'Prison Brides' still together?
It's not easy for Jessica and Craig right away. Unfortunately, it's hard to say if the pair are still together. Taking a little peek into the future is a tad difficult considering Jessica's Instagram is private. Maybe once the season ends, we'll get a better look into her current life.
In the early part of the season, we watch as Jessica begins preparing to come face-to-face with Craig. This buildup is emotional and powerful, especially when we get to watch as they finally unite. They then set off on starting their life together.
And in Episode 6, they announce they are welcoming a bundle of joy into the world. While that doesn't necessarily mean their marriage will last, we're wishing them the best.
How do you get married in prison?
Despite the loss of a lot of privileges, marriage is still an option for many inmates. After all, it can be considered a religious action, and by joining in a union, you're exercising your right to religious freedom.
As such, the first step an inmate needs to do is fill out a form and turn it into their prison's chaplain. The other person will also need to sign off on the wedding with a similar form which will typically be mailed to them.
The couple can usually request a specific officiant. However, it is up to the chaplain to confirm that the officiant is a member of the clergy or a justice of the peace. Basically, they need to make sure the officiant is legitimate.
In some cases, only the chaplain of the prison is allowed to officiate the wedding. That being said, if there's a religious conflict for some reason, it's possible to fill out an exception request to be approved on a case-by-case basis.
This entire process can seem like a lot. Plus, many people just prefer a more low-key wedding, so there are options to help be less formal about the process, but still get the deed done.
If you aren't aware, it's possible to get married online now. Using Courtly makes the process a lot simpler and might even save the couple some time.
While marriage is a constitutionally protected right, there are some limitations. Marrying within the prison system, for example, can cause issues for corrections officers.
U.S. Marshals Service can actually intercede and prevent two inmates from getting married if it might cause a security system or, for some reason, interfere with an investigation.