Prisoner set to be released in 11 years marries prison guard
Topics: Crime, Sex and Relationships, Weddings, US News
Joe Yates
Featured Image Credit: tiktok/@mrslee0715 YouTube/Love Don’t Judge
Topics: Crime, Sex and Relationships, Weddings, US News
An inmate who is serving 25 years to life in jail proposed to a prison guard while behind bars.
In 2022, Tameka tied the knot with her husband Jonathan Lee - who has already served 13 years in the clink.
the now-retired correctional officer has spoken out about their relationship on the YouTube channel 'Love Don't Judge'.
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"The first meeting with him was insane because the same inmates that I had in my custody, and I was mean to, were the same inmates I seen that's locked up with my husband," the New Yorker told a film crew.
"When I visit Jonathan in prison, some of the officers' reaction, they're like, a little bit confused because they don't know which side of the law I'm on. They're like 'oh she's married to an inmate but she's also one of us', because if they do something wrong they think I'm going to report them."
But how did Lee end up behind bars in the first place?
Well, according to a change.org petition, he's serving 25 years to life in jail after he was wrongfully convicted of attempted murder for resisting arrest back in 2011.
It's explained that he was only a youth when he was first convicted, and just over a month later, he stayed over at a friend's house, which violated his parole.
The petition claimed that the parole officers entered the building without a search warrant while he was sleeping between 5am and 6am, before the pair of them allegedly began striking him with their batons.
It went on to claim that to cover up their use of excessive force, they claimed Lee grabbed one of the officers' guns.
So, that's why Tameka's hubby is behind bars - but the pair actually met during their childhood, and having not spoken in 14 years, she received a letter from Lee while she was still working as a prison guard.
Speaking candidly to the film crew she said: "I am the officer that is married to someone in prison, I got to be the only officer in the world who got proposed to in jail.
"I was 30 years young when I got my pension, I get paid a lifetime, so it would definitely support me and my husband when he gets out of prison. My friends give bad advice and tell me 'don't be with somebody in prison'."
She continued: "I started sharing my story online because the world needed to know.
"I visit Jonathan every weekend it takes me about 12 hours total, six hours going six hours coming. They ban me, they're tired of me coming - some of them don't like I'm an officer, and then once my suspension is up, I go right back."