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Meet the women who fall in love with men behind bars.

"Get ready with me for my first in-person visit with my man," narrates TikTok creator Katie as she puts on false eyelashes, painstakingly does her makeup, and accessorises an outfit.

But she's not meeting up with a Tinder match or someone she's been set up with through friends.

Katie's man is in prison in the States, and she's in a long-distance relationship with him from her home in the UK. 

Welcome to #jailtok — the corner of TikTok dedicated to creators giving us a peek into the life of their incarcerated loved ones, and what it's like to be the one on the outside.

Here, wives and partners of incarcerated men share tips, insights and heartfelt confessions about what it's really like to be the one left behind, and the content is as raw as it is fascinating.

Chloe, a 23-year-old Melbourne woman, met her American husband Rondell via a prison pen pals website. The pair fell in love, married while Rondell was still in prison, and now dissect their experiences through their podcast, 10,000 Miles Not Easily Broken.

Watch: 23-year-old Melbourne woman Chloe with her American husband Rondell shares what it's really like to be in a long-distance prison relationship. Post continues after video.


TikTok @chloerichofficial.
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Other creators have had their relationships disrupted after a husband or boyfriend was sent to jail, forcing them to pick up the pieces of life on the outside while standing by their loved ones on the inside. 

Gold Coast creator @fxckmamii shares her experiences through her TikTok series 'Life of a Jail Wife', her soothing ASMR voice narrating 'day in the life' style content that includes receiving flowers from her incarcerated boyfriend, opening up about the toll it takes on her mental and emotional health, and discussing the strange requirements of prisons when it comes to visitation.

"I always take three outfits with me, because they always make me change my clothes," she explains in one video, "I think they just like having a fashion show."

@fxckmamii LIFE OF A JAIL WIFE | EP62 I hate this part right here ❤️‍🩹 @freethebroJade #jailwife #prisonwife #prisontok #jailtok #iloveyouJadeLevi #soulmate #fyp #australia #babydaddy #goldcoast ♬ original sound - Fxckmamii

In fact, discussions about outfits make up a significant portion of the content on #jailtok — Australian prisons have various dress-code rules when it comes to what visitors can and cannot wear, and the comments section is full of women explaining that a top they wore was deemed 'too revealing' by one guard, when weeks before it had been allowed. 

Creators are also faced with significant limitations when it comes to how much content about their incarcerated loved one they're actually allowed to post. 

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When video-chatting or having 'virtual visitation' with their partners, footage of the call is recorded, but it's prohibited to post it online due to the laws around people's rights in jail.

"Careful about posting this," commented one user under a video from Yvie, another user who frequently posts under the #jailwife hashtag, and had uploaded a screen recording of a virtual visit with her partner. "I tried screen recording and the prison found out, I was banned from talking to him for three months."

"There's so many rules and you really don't know any of them until you're in the situation," laments another commenter.

It's this exact sentiment that led TikTok user Chrissy Cutts to create the Jail Wife Coach community — a platform where Australian women with an incarcerated loved one can access support and information from someone who knows the system. 

@jailwifecoach Jail Wife Coach Community is a safe space to connect and support you on your journey. #jailwife #jail #jailwifelife #jailtok #jailtiktok #prison #prisonwife #prisonwifelife #prisontok #prisontiktok #prisonwifelife #chrissycutts #fyp ♬ original sound - jailwifecoach

"Jail changed my life, made me who I am today," Chrissy captions a video explaining why she chooses to support other women in the same situation. "I wouldn't wish this journey on anyone. But, I'm grateful for the lessons [that have] allowed me to now share coping strategies with those who are in the thick of it."

Read more of our Real-Life stories:

Feature image: Tiktok/@cassmareex; @jailwifecoach.