Five effective ways to connect to a loved one in prison.
Keeping a relationship alive in the midst of a prison sentence can be a challenge. But you are not the only one who has gone through it. You might be surprised to know how many couples have made it through the others side of a prison sentence, stronger than ever. Relationships in prison are going to require effort, but these tips can serve as a reference to make a prison relationship work
1. Get Ready to Write:
We talk about writing letters to inmates often. That’s because writing and receiving letters are the bloodline of any prison inmates relationship. This is a crucial aspect to dating someone in prison. Writing letters is the easiest and most common way to maintain a good level of communication with someone who is incarcerated.
2. Make Communication Meaningful
There are a great deal of things we may want to talk about when we have the chance to talk to our loved one. However, with limited time to communicate with someone in prison, we have to make sure we prioritize the meaningful conversations first. This can include important life updates, plans for the future, family events, etc.
3. Stay Involved with their Family
This tip is typically more applicable if you have already been in a relationship with the prisoner prior to incarceration. Even if not, this is still important to read. Thus, staying involved with the family can be beneficial to all involved. By showing their family you still want to be part of their life, you show your loved one that their family still matters to you. This further helps you by still feeling connected to your loved one.
4. Keep Realistic Expectations
Make sure to do your research on prison relationships. One of the hardest parts of a prison relationship is adjusting to the difficulties of it. Be real with yourself. Be mindful of the struggle your loved one is in and don’t put added stress in their life or your own.
5. Ignore Doubters
There is a stigma that a prison relationship simply cannot work. You will cross paths with many people with this mindset, some that are strangers and some that you are close with. You must ignore these kind of people. Nobody but you and your loved one can determine if your relationship will work. TYRO is living proof that prison relationships can work. Do not let others affect how your prison relationship goes.
No matter the challenge, no matter the doubt, prison relationships can work. We at TYRO are cheering you on, you got this!