Does every human being deserve to have love in their life? The American prison system – through its policies – often answers that question with a “no.” But the human instinct to seek out companionship, affection, and care runs deep. And every year, some of the roughly 2 million people behind bars fall in love with people on the outside. And the way the prisons treat these bonds says a lot about the state of mass incarceration. Brooklyn writer Elizabeth Greenwood spent five years reporting on romantic relationships among inmates. She's the author of Love Lockdown: Dating, Sex, and Marriage in American Prisons, and Tara's guest today on Lean Out.

You can find Tara Henley on Twitter at @TaraRHenley, and on Substack at tarahenley.substack.com