Here's How Often Anna Duggar Can See Husband Josh While He's In Prison
When Anna Keller married Josh Duggar, the oldest son of the famous "19 Kids & Counting" family, she must have anticipated a life much like the one she grew up in. One of eight children born to a deeply religious family, per In Touch Weekly, she was homeschooled and raised to believe that her greatest calling was to be an at-home mother. By age 20, she was engaged, married soon after, and went on to have seven children.
But her idyllic life was shattered three times by shocking revelations about her husband. In 2015, it was revealed that Josh had molested some of his own sisters as a teen (via The Washington Post). Several months later, he confessed to being addicted to internet porn, saying he was "the biggest hypocrite ever," per CNN. Then, in 2021, Josh was arrested and found guilty of possessing child sexual abuse material. He was sentenced to 151 months in federal prison (via The U.S. Sun), and in June 2022 was transferred to the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) in Texas.
Josh's life in prison will consist of a regimented waking and lights-out schedule, with chores to keep him busy during the day (via TMZ). But perhaps most difficult for both him and Anna will be the visitation rules she must follow.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
Anna won't be able to bring all her children to see their dad
Since September 2020, the Federal Bureau of Prisons has operated on a shortened visiting schedule to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. According to the new regulations for federal correctional institutions, inmates like Josh Duggar are allowed just two visitors per month, for a two-hour duration. Visiting days are Sundays, Mondays, Fridays, and Saturdays, and the days rotate monthly among inmates to keep things equal.
For each visit, Josh will be allowed either two adult visitors or one adult and one child over age five. Each adult can bring one child under age four, as long as the child stays in the adult's lap the entire time. If a child can't stay still, the visit is over. So Anna could either visit with one of their four older children or bring another adult along — say, mom-in-law Michelle Duggar — with each of them carrying one of Anna's little kids.
Even under non-COVID circumstances, the regular visitation rules only permit up to five people per visit. So Josh will never see his family all together until his release in 2035. By that time, his oldest daughter, Mackynzie, will be 26 years old, perhaps with children of her own.
Not only will Josh be denied conjugal visits, but he also won't even be able to hug Anna hello. The couple will be seeing each other through a plexiglass barrier, with no touching of any sort allowed, and no photographs.
Will Anna be making a big move?
It's difficult enough for any wife to cope when her husband is doing time. But Anna Duggar's stress is compounded by the fact that she is now an unemployed single mom of seven children. Her youngest, Madyson Lily, is less than a year old, having been born during her dad's trial. Per The U.S. Sun, Anna and Josh had been renovating their "dream home" at the time of his arrest, but she was forced to sell the property just to collect some savings. She and the children are reportedly living in a warehouse on the Arkansas compound of in-laws Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar.
Considering that the Seagoville prison is a five-and-a-half-hour drive from Arkansas, those two monthly visits could take their toll on Anna. But could she be trying to shorten the distance? She broke her long Instagram silence over the July 4 weekend to reveal that she traveled to Fort Worth to celebrate her sister Priscilla's birthday, Us Weekly reported. Their oldest daughter, Mackynzie, was seen in a photo with Josh's brother Justin, who also lives in Texas.
The Hollywood Gossip thinks it's possible that Anna might move her family to Texas for the duration. Not only would it make those bi-monthly trips easier, but it would also align with her fundamentalist belief that wives should submit to their husbands' authority. Whatever happens, fans are hoping she'll find the best solution for her and her children.