What Lindsay Lohan's Life In Jail Was Really Like

By the mid-2000s, actor Lindsay Lohan had gone from child star to tabloid fodder because of her erratic behavior and drug and alcohol overuse that resulted in escalating run-ins with the law. Lohan, whose breakout role at age 12 as identical twins in the 1998 remake of "The Parent Trap," would eventually end up just one of several child actors who have gone to jail for various crimes over the years. Lohan's legal troubles began in May 2007 when police in Beverly Hills arrested her for driving under the influence after she crashed her car. Just a couple of months later, police again arrested her after a car chase involving the mother of her personal assistant. This time, she was additionally charged with felony possession of cocaine.

Lohan's first jail stint lasted all of 84 minutes for a one-day sentence for her DUIs, per The Citizens' Voice. She was released so quickly because of overcrowding in the jail. The authorities even allowed her to wear her street clothes while she was there. But her second jail sentence in July 2010 for a probation violation related to her two previous DUI cases, lasted two weeks. She was in a cell by herself for up to 23 hours a day for her own protection.

Like several other actors, Lohan managed to ruin her career in a matter of seconds after a drunk driving accident that kicked off her many interactions with the justice system. It was 5:30 a.m. on May 26, 2007, when the 20-year-old actor jumped a curb and got her Mercedes wedged between two trees on Sunset Boulevard before leaving the scene. She went to rehab for 45 days, but two weeks after leaving, she was again arrested for driving under the influence and cocaine possession. Lohan eventually pleaded guilty to reduced charges and that August, a Beverly Hills judge sentenced her to one day in jail, community service, probation, and an alcohol education program.

In November, Lohan's lawyer dropped her off at the Century Regional Detention Center in Lynwood, California, where she turned herself in. Among the other celebrity inmates who had served time at the two-story jail that began housing women in 2006 were Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie. Lohan was fingerprinted, photographed, and held in a private cell. She was not required to wear a jail-issued uniform. She walked in at 10:30 a.m. and walked out a little more than an hour later. Jail authorities alleged she didn't receive any special treatment. The next time Lohan ended up at the same jail, three years later, she had a very different experience.

By July 2010, Lindsay Lohan was back at the Century Regional Detention Center. A judge had sentenced her to serve 90 days there for failing to attend several sessions of her court-ordered alcohol awareness program. But, again, because of overcrowding, Lohan would serve a lot less time. This go around, she would have a body cavity search, and be forced to wear an orange jumpsuit. She also received a toothbrush, toothpaste, and other personal body care items as well as underwear. Lohan, it seemed, was upset about what she called the "grannie panties" because they only came in one size, forcing her to tie the sides in knots to keep them on.

Jail authorities housed Lohan in the special needs unit where she received her meals in her 12-foot x 8-foot cell with a private shower. She was allowed out for an hour a day and didn't have access to either a cell phone or computer. Lohan was a "total mess" by turns crying and "catatonic," an unnamed source told In Touch magazine at the time (via The San Francisco Examiner). After finishing her sentence and court-mandated rehab, Lohan continued to break the law, from shoplifting to reckless driving. Her final jail stretch, in November 2011, again for violating probation, lasted only four hours. Lohan's career suffered from her notoriety, which may have been why she's among the actors who are poorer than you thought.

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).