These Are the Unusual Rules People in the Witness Protection Program Must Obey

Witness protection does not examine only the person giving evidence. Every protected family member aged 18 or older may also have to complete a psychological evaluation. Officials need to know whether anyone entering the program could struggle badly, break the rules, or create danger in the new community.

That means spouses and adult children may face testing before the family is approved. The government is not simply asking whether they want to disappear. It is deciding whether every adult can handle isolation, secrecy, sudden change, and the pressure of living under a completely different identity.