Love After Lock Up: An Extension of Prison Girlies

• In Event: Consuming Carcerality as Entertainment: Critical Perspectives and Opportunities to Practice Hope and Resistance

Abstract

Reality crime shows are an increasingly popular subgenre of crime television that blends the American public’s fixation with voyeurism with true crime obsession. From the high-speed chases on COPS to the volatile confrontations between people who are incarcerated and young people on Scared Straight, reality crime shows reality crime shows a curated glimpse into the carceral system. However, some shows, like Love After Lock Up, delve into the intimate relations between people who are incarcerated and their partners post-release. Reflecting on the pop cultural consumption of carceral logics, this presentation discusses the fetishization of people, and relationships, post-incarceration. We address themes surrounding gender norms, queering the carceral, and racial tensions and dynamics.

Authors

• Alessandra Early, John Jay College of Criminal Justice

• Nicole McKenna, John Jay College of Criminal Justice