A British mother is engaged to a US prisoner, and he proposed to her on her first visit

An NHS nurse engaged to a US prisoner has disclosed that he sends her money, jewellery, and presents from behind bars, but argues that their relationship isn’t as glamorous as it appears.

Jacqui McDonald, 30, of Bristol, who is pursuing a PhD in psychology, met LaDarius ‘LA’ Alexander, 31, in August 2019 through the ‘Write a Prisoner’ programme, which matches offenders with pen pals.

LA is incarcerated in Ohio after being convicted of robbery, criminal gang activities, and involuntary manslaughter (which he took an Alford plea for).

After three months of daily phone talks and messages, the couple was captivated, and Jacqui got LA’s name tattooed on her breast before they even met.

In November 2019, the mother-of-one went to America for the first time to see him. LA dropped down on one knee and proposed to Jacqui on this first visit.

Three years later, the relationship is stronger than ever.

Jacqui has gone two more times to meet her jailed fiancé in the United States, and her family is now totally supportive of her love with LA.

He bought her jewellery for her birthday and assisted with the purchase of her brand new automobile so she wouldn’t have to finance it.

Jacqui has three tattoos of her fiancé: a prisoner number around her neck, the words ‘Lady LA’ on her foot, and his complete name ‘LaDarius’ on her leg.

The pair is looking forward to spending their lives together when he is released, which might happen as soon as later this year or as late as 2025.

Jacqui rose to prominence on TikTok as @amerikka22 with videos exposing the hardships of being a ‘prison wife,’ and she just established the XO3 podcast, in which she discusses what inmates truly go through in prison and supports other women who have loved ones in prison.

Jacqui, who has a six-year-old kid from a previous relationship, started conversing with LA on Write a Prisoner in August 2019 after a friend who was dating a prisoner recommended she try it.

‘I had just come out of a relationship and wasn’t ready to date anyone,’ Jacqui explained.

‘But when LA and I started talking, I thought he was hilarious.’ That’s what drew me to him in our first messages to one other. I recall giggling the entire time on our first phone chat two days later.

‘I didn’t always understand his accent, but he had me in stitches back then.’

‘Every day, we are granted 240 minutes of call time. We spent up those minutes every day talking to one other in those first several weeks.

‘Our friendship just grew, and we rapidly learnt everything there was to know about one other.’

‘Even though we lived on different sides of the world, we had so many commonalities.’

‘I was in love with him and had his name tattooed on me, but I knew I needed to see him in person to be sure.’

LA assisted in paying for Jacqui’s plane ticket to meet him for the first time in jail in Ohio in November 2019.

On that same vacation, he proposed to Jacqui.

‘When I met LA for the first time, I felt like I’d known him my whole life,’ Jacqui remembered.

‘There was never an awkward quiet, and he always had me laughing.’ I visited him three times in three days, and on my second visit, he went down on one knee and proposed. I was so certain in our connection that I said yes right away.

‘When I arrived to the UK, he had arranged for a wedding ring through a friend and shocked me with a video proposal,’ she says.

Jacqui paid visits to her fiancé in January 2020 and November 2021, connecting with his nine-year-old son and other family members.

Despite the coronavirus lockdown keeping the pair apart, Jaqui and LA spoke every day and she got a tattoo with his prisoner number on the back of her neck to commemorate their love.

On certain occasions, LA sends Jacqui cards and gifts, as well as money, so that Jacqui’s kid may enjoy exciting outings.

She is quick to point out, however, that dating a prisoner is not without its challenges.

‘Dating a prisoner isn’t all presents, romance, and flying tickets,’ Jacqui explained.

‘At the end of the day, all you have is the truth of how you feel about this individual.’ It’s emotional when the jail visit is over, and it’s especially difficult for LA.

‘There are those days that are really difficult, and we simply miss each other.’ LA and I have to deal with issues that other couples do not have to.

‘Do you think I’d like to have a regular relationship with him?’ Of course, I would, but I’ve grown to accept and value what we have.

‘We’ve overcome some of the challenges, and it’s made us stronger as a pair.’

‘It became a fad in lockdown for individuals to write a prisoner and form relationships with convicts in order to get power on social media.

‘However, the reality of dating someone in jail for as long as me and LA have been together is a lot more difficult.’

LA will be freed in 2025, although he might be released as soon as summer 2022 if he obtains his GED (General Educational Development).

After his release, the pair intends to maintain a long-distance relationship until Jacqui completes her PhD, at which point they will decide whether to reside in the UK or the US.

She has over 133,500 likes on her TikTok videos describing what it’s like to date a prisoner.