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Love During Lockup is back with new inmates, and new drama. 

The We TV series returns Friday, January 16, with fresh stories of people who are pursuing a romance with an inmate. One of them is Emily, a 26-year-old single mom from Pennsylvania who is dating Justin, who is currently serving time for burglary and possession of a firearm.

Emily and Justin have been together for six months, and while they’ve fallen hard for each other, there’s one aspect of her life that he might have trouble getting used to: her job as a “legal courtesan.”

“I’m a hooker,” Emily bluntly explains in the teaser for the new season. 

Emily opens up about her job in ‘Love During Lockup’ season premiere

Though Emily lives in Pennsylvania, she spends much of her time in Nevada, where she works in a brothel. (Nevada is the only state that has legalized prostitution, though it is only permitted in specific locations and circumstances.) 

“I got into sex work when I was three months post-partum,” she explains in an exclusive clip from Friday’s Love During Lockup season premiere. 

“I was a single mom. There were times I couldn’t even put food on the table for my son,” she continues. “I turned to this line of work because you can walk away with an easy $10,000, $20,000 in a week’s time frame.”

Is Justin OK with Emily’s choice of work?

While Emily’s career is unconventional, she says it’s right for her. “Working in a brothel means so much to me,” she explains. 

But does her boyfriend feel the same way? Maybe not.

“I really hope Justin can find a way to be OK with it down the road,” she says. 

“I absolutely understand why it might be a struggle to Justin,” Emily tells a producer. “He tells me it’s going to be different when he gets out. So, I really hope he can handle it.” 

One thing Justin doesn’t have to worry about it competition. 

“I’m not worried in the slightest about catching feelings for one of my clients. I view it as strictly professional,” she says. “I only care about the money when it comes to my job.”

Love During Lockup premieres Friday, January 16 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. New episodes air weekly on We TV and stream on All Reality, AMC Networks’ new streaming service for unscripted reality content, and AMC+.

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