Why Do Women Marry Prisoners?

When Scott Peterson was convicted of murdering his wife and unborn baby, he gained a level of notoriety because of the nature of the murder. When he arrived on Death Row at San Quentin, he was flooded with mail and the prison received two phone calls from women who wanted to marry him. When Ted Bundy was on trial in Florida, he acted as his own attorney. During cross-examination of a character witness, he asked her if she wanted to marry him. She said she did and he said he wanted to marry her also and they were married. Richard "Night Stalker" Ramirez had an 11 year old relationship with a woman whom he ended up marrying. What attracts women to marrying someone who is incarcerated?

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. It reminds me of the musical Grease. Sandy is a nice girl who falls for Danny, the bad boy rebel. There is something in the nature of humans which makes rebellion attractive to some. This could explain the physical aspect of the attraction.

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. The only problem with women who are depressed or have poor self-esteem is they become easy prey for these men. They become victims of the con artist and by the time they figure out the game it is too late.