London – Gay prisoners will be allowed to tie the knot inside some of the country’s toughest jails, as long as they pay for the ceremonies themselves
Top security lock-ups like will have to host civil partnership ceremonies, provided the inmates fund the nuptials themselves.
The green light for killers, rapists, drug dealers and terrorists to get hitched inside prison was given after a homosexual crook’s mum wrote to inmate magazine Inside Time to get the go-ahead.
‘My son is currently held as a Category A prisoner and has expressed a wish to “marry” (in a civil ceremony) another male Category A prisoner who is in the same jail,’ the concerned woman wrote.
‘I would like to know whether he would ever get permission for this and, if so, how quickly would he be able to arrange it from the prison? Are same sex civil ceremonies allowed in prison, particularly from Category A prisoners?’
Category A covers the most notorious and violent inmates in the UK, including everyone from killers to terrorists. They are detained in the country’s toughest jails – such as Belmarsh in London – under the strictest security conditions as they are highly dangerous to the public.
Partners: Some of the country’s toughest jails will host civil ceremonies for gay inmates
One of the biggest Category A jails is HMP Long Worcestershire, which previously housed notorious terror suspect Abu Qatada, and currently hosts a string of other Al Qaeda terrorists and the Ipswich Ripper Steve Wright – the serial killer who claimed five victims in 2006.
A spokesman for the National Offender Management Service, revealed that civil partnership ceremonies were allowed behind prison walls, provided the convicts stump up the cash.
‘Prison Service Order 4445 outlines the procedures for all prisoners wishing to enter into a civil partnership and the criteria for having the registration ceremony either inside or outside the prison,’ he said.
‘This would ultimately be determined following a risk assessment at the prison.
‘However, it should be noted that it is solely for the prisoner and their intended civil partner to make all the arrangements with regards to the registration, which would include satisfying the authorities that there are no obstacles/objection s to their union.
‘They will also be liable for all the costs involved.’
The Prison Service Order reveals that the obstacles to a jailhouse union are negligible. They can qualify for a civil partnership provided they are of the same sex, over 16, not related and not already married.
Any prisoner who is likely to be locked up for more than three months, whether convicted or not, must be allowed to register a civil partnership – and the rules also extend to sex-change prisoners who want to marry a fellow crook.
The cons are even allowed to invite guests into the lock-ups for the ceremony, but these are limited to a ‘reasonable number’ decided upon by the Governor.
Source – Daily Mail
