Prison romance - Woman leaves 26-year marriage for love behind bars

For some, love knows no bounds -- not even the barriers of prison walls. Dramatic, unconventional, and fiercely committed, some women have found and nurtured relationships with men who are incarcerated, proving that love can flourish in even the most challenging circumstances.

One such woman is Angela*. This 46-year-old from Manchester never imagined that accepting a Facebook friend request would change her life. Trapped in a "miserable and heartache-filled" 26-year marriage, Angela found comfort in her digital connection with a man who turned out to be an inmate in one of Jamaica's adult correctional facilities who was serving time for a shocking crime.

"One day, a friend request pop up and at first, mi was going to delete it, but when mi look at him profile and [mi] si seh him nuh bad-looking, suh mi seh mek [mi] accept it," Angela recounted. "After that we started talking, and he became a source of comfort for me," she said, adding that over time she found herself falling in love.

"He was really easy to talk to, very encouraging, and him always find a way fi uplift me spirit and mek mi feel better," she said.

This newfound love gave Angela the strength to leave her 26-year marriage. But when she told her new partner she wanted to meet in person, he revealed a shocking truth: he was serving a lengthy sentence for a sex offence.

"At first when him tell mi, is like mi heart shatter and mi break down, but then [him] explain what happen and tell mi seh him innocent, and mi believe him," Angela shared.

Angela's partner proposed to her during a conference call with their families. The proposal came as a surprise, but she accepted without hesitation.

"Even though it's hard, mi never miss a visit or a call, and that is how we keep our love alive," she said.

On Thursday, Angela attended the Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre's Family Funday, accompanied by her three children. For her, although prison walls have separated her from her soulmate physically, they have a strong connection.

"A nuh everybody inna prison guilty, some people are actually innocent, and me know seh him is a good man, especially because [of] how he treats my children," Angela said.

Angela and her partner's love story is just one of many behind prison walls. Dancehall superstar Vybz Kartel met his girlfriend, Sidem Ozturk, while he was serving time in 2015. They began communicating and Kartel, while locked up, proposed to her. Following the overturning of his conviction, Kartel has proposed to Ozturk again and the two are planning their big day.

Meanwhile, like Angela, 35-year-old Jennifer* also found love through Facebook. Her beau is also incarcerated. In her case, she knew him before he went to prison, but the social media platform proved to be the fuel that helped the old fire sticks reignite.

"Mi did know seh him ina prison, suh when mi did see the message, mi did shocked. But as wi talk, is like the feelings mi did have for him come rushing back," Jennifer explained with a smile.

She told THE WEEKEND STAR that the inmate was her first love, as they had dated during their teenage years, but then drifted apart. When they reconnected, Jennifer realised that despite his prison sentence, he was the one for her.

"People ask me if mi crazy, but mi know how mi feel. Nobody mek mi feel the way him mek mi feel," Jennifer said.

They have been in a committed relationship for three years and she is counting down the days to her partner's release.

"This is probably the hardest thing mi ever experienced, it nuh easy. Yuh have to have faith and a lot of love, or else it nah guh work," said Jennifer, who is adamant that she will remain faithful to her partner until the day of his release.

In 2017, former National Security Minister Robert Montague announced that the government would introduce conjugal visits for prisoners. The proposal was part of a Green Paper tabled in Parliament in January 2023. However, seven years later, there's been little progress in implementing the policy.

Despite the uncertainty, Jennifer fully supports the idea of conjugal visits, especially because her partner still has five years left in prison.

"A nuh everybody in prison wicked and evil, enuh. Some a dem, a mistake dem mek and dem a duh them time fi it, but that nuh mean seh dem nuh have feelings and needs," she said.

"Prison hard and if dem did a get likke sex, trust mi, all a wi life would a betta," she added.

Similarly, Cindy*, who has been with her partner for 20 years, is also advocating for conjugal visits.

"If dem mek it legal today, me a guh be the first one down here tomorrow, " Cindy said.

She was at the family funday with her two children, whom she shares with her partner. She has a small child who, she said, was fathered by someone else as a result of loneliness.

"Fi deh wid somebody in a prison nuh easy, and yuh get very lonely, suh things happen. And that's why dem kinda visits deh needed, because less people will stray and it will be easier fi families stay together," she reasoned.

Though Cindy and her partner have faced hardships -- including a period when Cindy strayed due to emotional isolation -- their bond has only grown stronger after a journey of forgiveness and healing.

"Him a my strength, and mi a fi him strength. No matter what, we're there for each other. That's what keeps us going," she said.

For 32-year-old Ashlee*, her love story is one of unexpected twists. She and her partner were childhood friends but they lost touch over the years. After reconnecting while visiting her brother in prison, Ashlee discovered that her old friend, now incarcerated for murder, wanted to reconnect. She agreed, and a year later, they're in a committed relationship.

"This is all new to me. I never thought I could fall in love with someone in prison, but it just happened," Ashlee explained, adding that being faithful comes easily for her.

"He is the only one I think about. I don't want to be with anyone else. I look forward to talking to him and seeing him whenever I can," she said.

Ashlee's partner has at least 10 years left to serve on his sentence.

*Names changed to protect identities.