Crimwife: An Insider's Account of Love Behind Bars

“It’s so sad,” she told me, “because you could have been something. You could have gotten to the top. You’re smart enough. But now you’re going to end up as just another dirty, scummy, rotten crimwife.”

How far would you go for love? Some women commit crimes to help their lovers, while others spend years on the run. Tanya Levin gave up her career as a prison social worker to pursue romance with an inmate. From her first day over on the visitors’ side of the fence, she became a crimwife. Some...