Jail Date

But even if the procedural rigmarole and public condemnation ensure their position on the lowest rung of society, at least one thing's for sure -- the women of the Family Visitation program are among the only women in American who know where their husbands are every night.

The "big house" has become their home, sort of a maximum-security blanket for an extended family comprised of murderers, loners, and street-wise kids. Here the families celebrate both the tragic and more mundane aspects of family life. It's where holidays are celebrated, and at least some semblance of stability is achieved. Even if the future is undoubtedly uncertain, yet most certainly bleak, children are conceived and traditions honored.

In fact, Donna even married her man in a cheery prison ceremony.
"That's the background of my wedding picture," Donna says matter-of-factly, pointing through the gate to the cold, weathered cellblock.