I'm asking for project help. I just took over as Moderator for the Prison weddings forum and I'm starting a project. I'd like to have information on procedure for getting married in Canadian prisons - does each Providence have different rules??

Please read my post in that forum - http://www.prisontalk.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=25940

I would appreciate your help.

Mrs. Dragon,
Prison Weddings Moderator

Hey Mrsdragon, yes I got married in prison. Was at Matsqui prison last September. But from what I saw was that each prison in each province is different. And each guard that is in charge will make up his or her own rules as they go. We found that each time we turned around that they were making another rule to their own benefit.

I hope that this little bit will help you, Eagle

Hi There!
I got married @ Warkworth in 1991.
Up to the last minute it was a ping-pong game as to who was going to make the wedding cake! The prison kitchen or an outside source.
The flowers had to be fake as they had to be there almost a month before the wedding.
Wonder if the guards borrow them for their own needs? They take every thing else for their own .......... (Smile)
Don't forget to prepare your guests for an intense "Shake down" before they are allowed to attend your wedding.
Ain't nothing better than a "Honeymoon" in a dirty trailer!
And then getting called out of your "Marriage Bed" every few hours to make sure that you did not run off?
And yes, even after all this and then some, we are still married!
Maybe YOU can make this happy occassion a little easier to deal with for future couples and their guests!
Some of my guests are still traumatized ............

Not to get off topic here, Caged...but the last line of your post broke me right up..lol
"Some of my guests are still traumatized."
I tell ya...i was married on the street years ago and some of MY guests are still truamatized too!!!
Maybe it aint just a prison wedding thing..hehe

Hi There!
I got married @ Warkworth in 1991.
Up to the last minute it was a ping-pong game as to who was going to make the wedding cake! The prison kitchen or an outside source.
The flowers had to be fake as they had to be there almost a month before the wedding.
Wonder if the guards borrow them for their own needs? They take every thing else for their own .......... (Smile)
Don't forget to prepare your guests for an intense "Shake down" before they are allowed to attend your wedding.
Ain't nothing better than a "Honeymoon" in a dirty trailer!
And then getting called out of your "Marriage Bed" every few hours to make sure that you did not run off?
And yes, even after all this and then some, we are still married!
Maybe YOU can make this happy occassion a little easier to deal with for future couples and their guests!
Some of my guests are still traumatized ............

Hi Caged.. wow can I relate to the trauma. We got married while he was in Max so only 3 guests. That was 21 years ago. We are still together and working hard to get him home. congrats on your marriage. Lina Shiningdrum

I'm asking for project help. I just took over as Moderator for the Prison weddings forum and I'm starting a project. I'd like to have information on procedure for getting married in Canadian prisons - does each Providence have different rules??

Please read my post in that forum - http://www.prisontalk.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=25940

I would appreciate your help.

Mrs. Dragon,
Prison Weddings Moderator

Hi Mrs. Dragon. Our marriage took place over 20 years ago. My experience in all things to do with prisons is the following. Max has diff regs than Med or Min and Fed inmates come under different jurisdiction than provincial. Summary vs Indictable. The rules go with the inmate, his/her sentence, point of incarceration, rules about behaviour etc in policy manuals. Each institution is supposed to follow the same guidelines for the particular request as it applies to type of sentence, stage of sentence, behaviour etc.

Also, one can be married but not get conjugal visits. That is what happened to us. It took another 4 years to conjugate. Still, they all follow the same rule stuctures but each individual warden will have their take on it. All marriage requests go to the warden. POs and C02s make recommendations. Once approved the standard security stuff goes on. Each institution will have its own flavour. If someone is in on 2 or under on a provincial charge (summary conviction) he/she falls under the rules of that conviction and therefore it would be a provincial matter. Indictable convictions fall under federal protocols.

That is the reason that in any given institution different rules apply. Someone in for a short bit of 2 years wants to get married has to go through for instance, his provincial rules, and the institution rules. (Max, Med or Min). Someone in on a long haul. Like my husband for instance who is in for life, has to follow the institutions rules Max Med or Min and the Fed. Gov't guidelines. Also both would have to put their request by the PO, CO2 and the warden with help from inmate liasions, religious or spiritual personnel etc (we had an Elder advocate and the Native Liason at Collins Bay Instit.) Man that was a LONG time ago. Hope it helps. Lina Shiningdrum.

Hey ALL!! My Fiance and I are getting Married on Dec 18th. Wherever he is. I want to get married in the prison, I want to be different, I really don't need the big expensive wedding, with all the friends and family. It's just us. Just hurry up and let us have our 6 day trailor!! I can't wait