Are Celebrities Given Special Treatment In Jail?
Over the decades, several famous faces have ended up in jail or on the celebrities in prison list including Martha Stewart, Lil Wayne, and Robert Downey Jr. amongst others, all of whom were sentenced and served their time. Because they're celebs, you may wonder if those sent to jail or prison managed to escape the usual incarceration routine. However, the answer isn't as simple as yes or no. Some celebs definitely did receive preferential treatment, whereas others appeared to undergo the same jail experience as regular inmates.
From being able to do yoga in the evenings to spending their sentence catching up on reading and even shooting music videos, the celebs below had their own way of passing the time when locked up. Still, a handful did not get any of the apparent privileges you would expect from being famous and getting caught breaking the law. From the few who have spoken about their experiences, it certainly seems like special treatment can be a mixed bag.
These celebs were allowed to do various activities
Lindsay Lohan is perhaps one of the most well-known examples of a child star who ended up in jail and received special treatment. Arrested in July 2010 for violating probation, Lohan was sentenced to 90 days but only served 14 days due to overcrowding. Plus, a former inmate of Lohan told RadarOnline that whenever Lohan left her cell, the rest of the jail was on lockdown. In addition to this freedom, Lohan reportedly was allowed to request specific books and get a new uniform each day, unlike other inmates who had to wait upwards of a week.
Another example of a celeb who served their time in relative luxury is Martha Stewart. Sentenced to serve five months in 2004 for insider trading amongst other offenses, the expert on all things home and garden carried out her time at a fenceless prison known as "Camp Cupcake." While there, she practiced yoga regularly and was allowed to do craft activities.
Moreover, though not as luxe in comparison to Lohan and Stewart's experiences, Paris Hilton still got some preferential treatment when re-arrested for violating her 2006 DUI probation. According to Criminal Justice, Hilton was initially released from jail due to an unknown medical condition but did return, albeit to be placed in the medical wing by herself. The hotel heiress was also apparently not forced to have the cavity search prisoners are usually subjected to.
Some celebrities have spoken candidly about their experience
If you have ever wondered if those who are locked up can carry on with their career, the answer is yes — if you're Dr. Dre, anyway. According to Crime and Investigation, the rapper was granted permission to shoot a music video with Tupac Shakur while serving time for a 1994 probation violation. Safe to say, the other inmates probably did not get this kind of special treatment. Although he never got to shoot a music video, another celeb who had a not-too-bad run in jail was Lil' Wayne. He had his own cell with a view, and told fans on his now obsolete website, "I was never scared, worried nor bothered by the situation" (via Variety).
However, other celebrities did not have as much of a positive experience. According to CNN, on the podcast "Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard," Robert Downey Jr. described being convicted as "the worst thing that happened to me." Despite not going into detail about why his experience was so bad, Downey Jr. did mention the hostility of the other inmates when he first got incarcerated, though he also shared that he eventually adjusted to jail life. Overall, the general consensus seems to be that, if you're rich and famous, you're far more likely to have a better time locked up than a regular civilian.