How Prison Ministry Can Help Inmates
Prison can be very lonely and isolating, however it also provides a time to start anew. Getting married while in prison can give someone a renewed sense of purpose. The Universal Life Church (ULC) has ordained people of all faiths who can serve in a prison ministry as prison chaplains with duties including marrying inmates.
Benefits for Prisoners
Marrying while in prison has the potential to contribute to the rehabilitation process. Being married can have a calming influence on prisoners, and may encourage them to focus more on ways to be positive and productive while serving their time. Knowing there is someone that cares for them on the outside may provide a sense of hope for the future and give them a more positive outlook on the present. If they have children with the person who they marry, their kids may have more access to benefits and an increased level of security. Ministers ordained by the ULC who are a part of a prison ministry can counsel inmates and offer another source of support.
The United Kingdom and the United States
Some prison officials in the United Kingdom and United State seem to agree that prisoners’ tying the knot is a good thing. In Scotland, 27 prison marriages have taken place with food for the weddings even being paid for with proceeds from prison stores. The U.S. Supreme Court has twice upheld the right for prisoners to marry, once in 1978 and again in 1989, however the right can be regulated and is not always approved. The approval process for a wedding varies by states and is typically at the discretion of prison officials. It can be based on several criteria. A number of prison weddings have subsequently occurred in the U.S.
Being married while is prison may help an inmate to turn his or her life around. ULC ordained ministers who work in a prison ministry can be a driving force in the lives of people who are incarcerated.