Prison is more than just bars and razor wire—it is an evil force that sinks its demonic claws into anyone connected to it. It doesn’t just punish the one inside; it punishes those who dare to love them. My husband and I are living proof of the resilience required to survive a prison marriage. We aren’t just battling time—we’re battling a system designed to break us both.
Two Separate Lives, One Marriage
Being married to someone in prison means living two separate lives. My husband is fighting to survive inside, navigating a world where trust is non-existent, and danger lurks in every corner. Meanwhile, I am on the outside, fighting a different kind of battle—staying alert to those who seek to harm me, ensuring that our love withstands the weight of the system that wants to crush it.
He is forced to exist in two realities: the hardened world of prison, where vulnerability is a weakness, and the world we’ve built together, where love is his only refuge. But being married to a former correctional officer makes him a target. He is called a traitor. He is manipulated emotionally, threatened, and even physically harmed. His loyalty to me has become another weapon for them to use against him.
The Outside Battle
On the outside, I am not safe either. People are watching, waiting, searching. The stigma of our love has made me a target. Those who hate our marriage, those who don’t understand it, they see me as the enemy. I have to stay vigilant. I have to protect myself. And still, I stand firm. Because this is not just a fight—it is a war for our future.
Why I Walked Away from Being a CO
I quit being a correctional officer to advocate for the humanities of prisoners. In the academy, I was taught to, and I quote, "hate all inmates equally." But I refused to let that mentality define me. I understand that some deserve to be incarcerated, but not all. People like my step-father, who molested me for 16 years, are allowed to roam the earth freely with no reprimand, but an addict like my husband is forced to live in this cruel world of imprisonment. And yet, in the eyes of the system, I am seen not only as "law enforcement" that automatically hates them, but now, after our arrest, as "law enforcement gone bad." I am fighting daily for the truth in all of that—on both sides.
It is a wicked system, one that is consistently swept under the rug when challenged. Despite my husband attempting suicide due to the emotional burdens he carries, despite them denying me visits because I was a former CO and am now considered HIGH RISK to the prison as a visitor—because I know the internal ways—it all "maths," if you will. And it is so corrupt, it is sickening.
Not an Easy Life, Not an Easy Fight
This life is not for the weak. It is not romanticized fairy tales or hopeful endings tied up with a bow. It is pain. It is fear. It is resilience. And yet, through all of it, I choose him.
Not the man in a prison cell, not the man being forced to play a role to survive—but the real man. The sober man. The free man. The man who loves me, fights for me, and will one day walk beside me in a world that can no longer keep us apart.
Because at the end of it all, he is worth it.
#PrisonMarriage #SurvivingPrison #LoveBeyondBars #StrengthThroughAdversity #EppersonEmpowerment #PrisonReform #FightingForTruth
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