Can You Continue A Relationship With Your Partner When They Are In Prison?
If you are in a relationship with somebody that goes to prison, you’re left in a very difficult situation. A lot of people would say that you should just leave, you don’t want to be dating a criminal anyway. But real life is not that simple and you shouldn’t necessarily end the relationship because they made a mistake. It could even be the case that you don’t believe they should be in prison in the first place and you want to stand by them.
Whatever your reasons for deciding to stay, carrying on a relationship with somebody while they are in prison is incredibly hard. It has all of the challenges of a long-distance relationship with a lot of extra difficulties added on top. But that doesn’t mean that it’s doomed to fail and you can maintain a healthy relationship as long as you approach it in the right way. These are some of the important things to keep in mind.
Know Why You Are Carrying On The Relationship
This will be central to everything that you do, and it’s incredibly important for you to figure out exactly why you are doing it. Having a reason like “I don’t believe in giving up” can be great but it isn’t enough on its own. Some people carry on unhealthy relationships because they feel guilty about giving up on their partner during a difficult time. However, this isn’t the right reason to carry on the relationship, so think about why you want to stay together and make sure that you’re doing it for a good reason.
Write Regularly
It’s important for you to keep in contact with them as much as possible. They are going to be in prison, which makes communicating with them incredibly difficult. Therefore, you are going to have to work that much harder if you want to maintain the relationship. Sending letters regularly is one of the best ways for you to do this. It also keeps them in touch with what’s happening in the outside world and it helps pass the time. When they first enter prison, you will need details to send them letters. You can use an Inmate search tool to find out exactly where they are and what address you need to send your letters to. If they are ever moved, make sure that you find their new location right away so you can maintain communication.
Be Patient
This is one of the big challenges when you are in a relationship with somebody in prison. You have to be incredibly patient because they are going to be a lot slower at communicating with you. They could also have a lot of other things on their mind so they might not read your letters straight away or take as much care as usual when writing them. You have to remember that this is temporary, and you need to be patient with one another if it’s going to work.
Continuing a relationship when your partner is in prison is incredibly difficult, but it is possible to make it work if you are both committed.