Nikol: Why Free Women Marry Prisoners

It is not easy to determine why any women would want to marry someone who is incarcerated for life or waiting on death row. Some say it is a thrill for the women, while others compare the fascination with that of a celebrity obsession. This article will lay out some of the theories of why women seek out love behind bars.
Throughout history, women have seemingly passed up the "good guy" for the "bad boy". This is one reason women may seek out love behind bars. They may feel the inmate is strong and is able to protect her because he is "dangerous". The worse the guy is, the more attractive he may become to a woman.
The psychological aspect of women who marry men behind bars is very complex. Often times, the women who seek out these inmates suffer from a variety of psychological problems. They are often depressed and have poor self-esteem. They seek out the unconditional love of someone who has less than them to make themselves fell validated.
Women become fixated with these men because of the popularity the media gives them. As we all know, the media is quicker to release coverage on a serial killer than on good things in the world. When the media makes a celebrity of someone women become obsessed with these men in the same way they would be obsessed over a rapper or actor. The difference between women being in love with a killer and a celebrity is they may one day receive a marriage proposal from an inmate, whereas with a celebrity they can only hope for an autographed picture.
Sometimes people would just rather give these women benefit of the doubt for marrying a convicted killer or rapist due to the nature of the crime and the case which was presented in court. A lot of these women sincerely believe these men are innocent, as a result of being fascinated with the case from day one. Also, these women feel sorry for these men and believe that even while they have been sentenced to death or life, they should not remain alone.
These women feel they cannot find love elsewhere in the world or they may feel that it is better to be married to someone who she does not have to deal with everyday at the home. I often wonder why these women would not want the comfort of a husband at home. I could not imagine never being able to be kissed or held by my husband, but for these women, it is more of a connection between two minds rather than the physical.
Whatever the reason may be for women falling in love with inmates, they seem to be happy with the arrangements. No matter how bad the crime, prisoners keep finding someone who loves them in alarming numbers. I believe there will never be a definitive answer to why women choose to marry prisoners, but I do know that those who do make that choice deserve their shot at happiness as well.