Monday, September 9, 2024

Being a Prison Wife: A Different World


Being a prison wife isn’t just a title—it’s a world of its own. It’s a life with a rhythm and set of rules that outsiders will never fully understand. You learn things that most people couldn’t even imagine being part of their daily lives, and you adapt because you love someone behind those bars.

When your loved one is "set up" at a prison where they'll stay for a while, you learn that if you don’t hear from them for more than a day, they’re probably in "the hole." And then, all you can do is wait—sometimes days, sometimes weeks—until you get a kite, that little handwritten note, or a delayed call that says they’re okay.

If they’re going to be transferred to another yard, you know that 4:30 am is roll-up time. If you don't get that early morning call, you’re glued to the DOC website, checking for any sign of movement. If texts don’t come through, you know the tablet communication system is down again. At first, every silence feels like a red flag. You panic. You make the calls, you worry, you stress about what might have gone wrong. But after a while, you learn the drill. You learn to breathe, to wait. Then, when you finally hear their voice again—sometimes days or weeks later—you let out a sigh of relief that feels like it’s been held in for an eternity.

This is life as a prison wife. It’s a stressful life, full of ups and downs, emotional roller coasters, and endless waiting. It’s a life of constant concern, of walking on eggshells, of questioning and second-guessing. But here’s the truth: he’s worth it.

My husband will always be worth it. He is the man who keeps the breath in my lungs, the smile on my face, and the beat to my heart. I am his, and he is mine. Nothing and no one will ever come between that. Judgment, stigma, ridicule—I don’t care what it may be, that man is worth every single second of my existence. We will always find each other in this life and every one to come.

Some days are harder than others. The stress can feel unbearable at times. But no matter how hard it gets, no matter how long the wait, we are worth it. This love, this bond, this life we’re building—even through bars—is stronger than any challenge we face.

Bible Verse:

Song of Solomon 8:7 (NIV): “Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot sweep it away. If one were to give all the wealth of one’s house for love, it would be utterly scorned.”

Through every challenge, through every obstacle, our love will always endure.

#SendingKites #PrisonAdvocacy #VoicesOfTheIncarcerated #InmateStories #JusticeReform #MassIncarceration #EndTheStigma #PrisonReformNow #InmateVoices #PrisonLife #AdvocatingForChange #SupportForInmates #EppersonEmpowerment #HopeBeyondBars #IncarcerationAwareness

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