Article in eChron.com By Craig Hlavaty March 20, 2015
Jo Anne Hall officiates jailhouse weddings in the Texas prison system. When an inmate wants to marry someone on the outside, Hall is one of a small handful of people who have been approved to do the honors.
The 59-year-old Humble resident has two sons currently locked up in Texas prisons, so she has a familial knowledge of prison life and the strains it places on those on the outside while family members do time on the inside.
Back in January, Hall applied to officiate wedding ceremonies in the prison system. So far she has one wedding under her belt.
On March 17, Hall wed Adam Rubio and Ginger Fisher. The bride was sentenced to 30 years in prison in 2011 for stabbing a police officer outside of a bowling alley in Baytown three years prior. According to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice website, she has no scheduled release date.
Rubio and Fisher were married at the Murray Unit in Gatesville.
“I’ve made myself available to any unit except the Wynne Unit in Huntsville as that is where my son is and the warden has said that I cannot perform marriages there,” says Hall. Marriages are open to any unit and eligible inmates.
Spokesman Jason Clark with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice said Thursday that a new inmate wedding policy changed in mid- January.
Before the change, incarcerated offenders in Texas had only married by proxy. However, Clark says, state law has changed, permitting a proxy when applying for a marriage license but not for the marriage ceremony itself.
“Given the restrictions and understanding offenders have a legal right to marry, the agency has approved a policy that allows an inmate to marry a non-incarcerated person within our facilities,” Clark says.
So far Clark says that at least six inmates have taken advantage of the rule change and wed in a TDCJ facility. Wardens, in part, help make the decision whether or not to approve or deny the request for a marriage in the visitation area. A unit chaplain handles the scheduling of the wedding.
Marriages of course must be in compliance with an inmate’s visitation rules. Ceremonies should be consistent with the offender’s visitation status, and there will be no special amenities, he added.
“There are no decorations or other items that may jeopardize security allowed. Also, if the offender is not eligible for contact visits, sitting at a table, they will be separated by glass,” says Clark. Weddings are not to be performed in the prison’s chapel area. Two days are set aside per month by each unit to accommodate weddings. Services are capped off at 30 minutes.
In Texas, prisoners have never been allowed conjugal visits, so consummation made need to be put off until a later date. Other states do allow them though.
Spouses on the outside are responsible for obtaining marriage licenses and arranging for an agency-approved officiant, which is where someone like Hall comes in.
According to Hall she is one of four wedding officiants in Texas. The road to performing weddings in Texas prisons was not an easy one, she says.
While looking for a way to reach out to other people like herself coping with a loved one on the inside, she found the Texas Inmate Families Association (TIFA) group on Facebook. After that she formed a group of her own, Texas Inmate Birthdays, which sends birthday cards to inmates.
“Each ‘event’ is someone’s birthday. We all send birthday cards to everyone’s loved one and in turn ours will receive many cards too,” says Hall. One of her sons received five cards from people he didn't even know.
“These people have become family and our loved ones are currently receiving about 20 cards each,” she says. She later started another group just for the parents of those who are in incarcerated.
When the TDCJ announced that they were going to approve inmate marriages, she felt that that was her next calling. Her third group, TDCJ Inmate Marriages, was formed. Soon after this she signed up to be a wedding officiant.
The couples that she has met through the Facebook group have a variety of stories. Some are serving life sentences, some met while they were both incarcerated and got married after one was released. One couple even met while one was an inmate and the other was a guard.
The Facebook group is a way for people in the same situation to find others to lean on.
“Marriage is hard enough when two people live together and sometimes have long distance relation due to work. I cannot even imagine this,” Hall says. Some are fortunate though that if eligible they can make phone calls home.
Ignite with Tabatha aired at 5 PM Sunday, September 13, 2015
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ABC13 Houston News PM Monday, March 20, 2017
HOUSTON (KTRK) --
Saying 'I do' from prison used to be a difficult task, but thanks to a local woman, many are able to tie the knot from behind bars.
"Some (couples) I can look at them and it brings me joy to do what I'm doing," Jo Anne Hall said.
Hall is one of the few officiants in the state of Texas that is allowed to conduct prison ceremonies. Back in 2015, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice made changes to its intimate wedding directive and allowed prisoners to marry someone from the outside. Those ceremonies are usually performed in jail.
"My heart feels for these (couples) because I've been on this side and it's not an easy life," Hall said.
Both of her sons have been incarcerated, with one currently serving a 25-year sentence. After years of visitation and traveling, Hall says she understands the stress loved ones on the "outside" go through.
Whether inmates are in jail for theft or murder, Hall said she doesn't ask for details. She says at the end of the day, it's up to the bride.
"She's the one that loves him, she accepts him for what he is, for what he may or may not have done," Hall said.
Hall makes jewelry for her brides, trying to make their day just a little more special.
"I feel happy that I was able to share in their memorable moment in their lives," she added.
"Some (couples) I can look at them and it brings me joy to do what I'm doing," Jo Anne Hall said.
Hall is one of the few officiants in the state of Texas that is allowed to conduct prison ceremonies. Back in 2015, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice made changes to its intimate wedding directive and allowed prisoners to marry someone from the outside. Those ceremonies are usually performed in jail.
"My heart feels for these (couples) because I've been on this side and it's not an easy life," Hall said.
Both of her sons have been incarcerated, with one currently serving a 25-year sentence. After years of visitation and traveling, Hall says she understands the stress loved ones on the "outside" go through.
Whether inmates are in jail for theft or murder, Hall said she doesn't ask for details. She says at the end of the day, it's up to the bride.
"She's the one that loves him, she accepts him for what he is, for what he may or may not have done," Hall said.
Hall makes jewelry for her brides, trying to make their day just a little more special.
"I feel happy that I was able to share in their memorable moment in their lives," she added.
It's the same article but a friend from New Jersey says it even made it to the east coast....
http://abc7ny.com/society/i-do-from-behind-bars-texas-woman-helps-marry-inmates-/1808537/
The Prison Show 90.1 FM KPFT Houston Friday, December 22, 2017
Season’s Greetings from The Prison Show! We have a HUGE evening planned to bring back the Prison Show wedding traditions. Tanika Solomon will co-host with Hank, Dave Atwood will report on The Death Penalty, Michael Allen will tell us about Christmas at the Jail, and we have an announcement from Parole Solutions.
9 pm – Opening with Tanika J. Solomon - 12 minutes – 9:12 pm
9:12 pm –Marriages by Memorable Moment – 15 min – 9:27 pm (on air vow renewal)
9:27 pm – Parole Solutions – 3 minutes – 9:30 pm
9:30 pm – Mike – 10 minutes – 9:40 pm
9:40 pm – Dave Atwood – 10 minutes – 9:50 pm
9:50 pm – Daniel - 5 minutes – 9:55 pm
9:55 pm - break song – 5 minutes – 10 pm
10 pm - Callers - 45 minutes – 10:45 pm
10:45 pm – no more holding – 10 minutes – 10:55 pm
10:55 pm – closing – 3 min – 10:58 pm
10:58 pm – PSAs – 2 min – 11pm
11 pm - Cultural Baggage with Dean Becker
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