Hi

I haven’t done a Correctional Centre ceremony, but my first call would be to the facility to check their requirements. Best to get it offically from them.

I have found some information from our Public Officer, Lou Szymkow:
Prison Marriages in NSW:
(NB I have re-edited this as it oddly duplicated paragraphs earlier)
In NSW, a prisoner may marry in a prison but there are complications and applications:
The Prisoner must first apply for permission to marry. The necessary application form is available inside the prison. Nothing happens if the prisoner has not been granted permission.
The Prison Chaplain, rather than an external Civil Celebrant, is sometimes preferred by the prison.
All prisoners have a Master Index Number (MIN) which is used in NSW Prisons to identify prisoners linking all their records and their location. The Celebrant needs that MIN for communication and when visiting. The current location of an inmate, the Corrective Services NSW Inmate Location Line can be contacted on (02) 8346 1000 or by email: CScorporatesupport@dcj.nsw.gov.au, 8.30am to 4.30pm – Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays). You must confirm your identity and provide the name and date of birth or name and Master Index Number (MIN) of the inmate.
Visitors need to be on the prisoner’s visitor list to visit and pass a security clearance to be issued with a Visitors Identification Number (VIN). The fiancé’ and the Celebrant each require a VIN and this can usually be done at the reception (front counter).
Biometric identification systems are currently installed at 16 NSW correctional centres, and are used to photograph a visitor’s face, scan their irises and capture their fingerprints. The system is networked across all 16 centres, with the exception of the Special Purpose Centre, Long Bay. At centres where there is no biometric identification system, visitors will be required to produce the forms of ID even if they have already been issued with a VIN.
The NOIM can of course be lodged with just one signature and the second, that of the prisoner, can be obtained just before the ceremony if not already obtained during a visit.
The DONLIM could be signed by the prisoner during a visit or just before the ceremony.
The Celebrant can communicate with the prisoner beforehand, perhaps by Audio Visual Link (AVL) or in a personal visit. The inmate is required to complete a Family Video Contact application form, which is available from the officer in charge of video conferencing or the Services And Programs Officer (SAPO) at each correctional centre. See the NSW Corrective Servcies Video conferencing for professionals info page.
The prison can, with the prisoner’s permission, allow a viewing of the prisoner’s MIN photocard which is of course is a government issued photo ID.
The Corrective Services NSW has a CSNSW Visits App has been designed for families, friends and legal professionals who wish to visit an inmate. It provides useful information about correctional centres, including phone numbers, addresses (linked to maps), transport options, visiting times and conditions, legal visits and other relevant information.
The prisoner may have difficulty providing the required proof of date & place of birth as the prisoner is highly unlikely to have a birth certificate inside the prison and depending on the offence, the prisoner’s passport may have been cancelled. An external party such as a solicitor, relative, or fiancé will however often be able to provide IDs.
Before travelling for a visit, call the correctional centre to confirm your visit and visiting time. To enter the prison, the Celebrant, as mentioned, must be on an approved visitors list. The first step is to check in at the gate or reception but as the number of visitors per day may be restricted, some organisation and contact with other parties may be required.
Each prison gate or checkpoint, has two doors and there are several gates consisting of narrow but short corridors with secure doors at either end, to go through. One door locks securely before the other opens. It is of course a prison and so direct or video surveillance is a given.
The Celebrant will usually enter the prison via the ‘legal services’ entrance which is separate to the general visitors.
Do not take anything ‘extra’ into the prison and make sure you have everything on your way out. The Celebrant will have to secure some items such as keys, watches, jewellery, smart watches or activity trackers, in a locker which can be collected on the way out.
The Celebrant of course has to provide the prisoner with the required before/after pamphlet and so could post that, or ask the front desk to get it to the prisoner, or hand it over in a visit if allowed. Follow up and make sure they received it.
The consent meeting can be held on the wedding day or the Celebrant could make a visit beforehand.
Be aware that the Celebrant needs to set aside a significant amount of time for any visit to the prison because prisons can go into lockdown without notice and so the Celebrant could wait for two hours or more and not be told why, or could even be refused entry without explanation but usually because of a security issue that may have nothing to do with the Celebrant or the prisoner.
For security purposes, no one will be advised of any prisoner transfers in advance and so again, could the Celebrant could be waiting for hours only to then be told that the prisoner had been transferred to another facility or to a court.
Determine who will be the witnesses? Will they be Prison guards, other permitted visitors, social workers etc? Check with the prison and couple. You cannot be certain that a prison official will agree to be a witness for security purposes.
Permission will also be required from the Operational Manager to have a space for the ceremony and the Celebrant will be assigned a security escort.
Prison guards are interesting people. Some are very professional, cooperative and considerate but they may be under pressure dealing with hardened criminals, threats, abuse and more and so may try to show their dominance treating the Celebrant as a prisoner and so don’t be offended, just be cooperative, patient, kind and confident!

Let us know how you go and share your learnings with fellow AMC Members

Kind REgards Joy