Comments on: Do Not Pass Go

By: Will Hindmarch

Will Hindmarch — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 14:10:50 +0000

From David Rakoff’s book, “Don’t Get Too Comfortable:”

“If, for example, it came to light that the dangerously thin, affectless, value-deficient, higher-aspiration-free amateur-porn auteur Paris Hilton was actually a covert agent from some secret Taliban madrasah whose mission was to portray the ultimate capitalist whore-puppet of a doomed society with nothing more on its mind than servitude to Mammon and celebrity at any cost, I wouldn’t be a bit surprised.”

By: Becky

Becky — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 14:11:43 +0000

But think of the effect on the economy. Keep Paris in jail for too long and the profits for clothing, shoes, unnecessary handbags, cosmetics, lipstick, cute outfits for chihuahuas etc. etc. will take a nosedive. It is essential she is let out as early as possible, for all our sakes.

By: Wood

Wood — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 10:54:17 +0000

Ah, now. I did not know about the jail conditions. I had assumed she’d be sent somewhere where they send, y’know, rich people. Like the place Jeffrey Archer went to.

But yes, that’s right. They took the piss out of the judge and now they’re acting all hurt because she got treated the same as the rest of the planet.

By: Miss Monica

Miss Monica — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 18:30:01 +0000

Having been to Lynwood jail, I can speak from experience. I would not wish it on anyone. Nearly incurable and deadly MRSA is rampant. Rehabilitation services are few. Walking into the women’s pod was like walking onto the set of Twelve Monkeys, only more decrepit. Wanting to show you, I searched for pictures of the interior of LA County jails, and found only this one from the LA Times blog:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/photos/uncategorized/stillwaiting_1.jpg

Men’s pod — probably Twin Towers from the look of it. This is a close-in shot. Multiply by a factor of 20 to 40, crowded together, the walls closing in, much darker, and encased behind plexiglas for your viewing pleasure, and you might have an idea of Lynwood.

As Amnesty International has stated, prison is where one is sent AS punishment, not FOR punishment. Paris is going into a type of SHU — torture in and of itself. With or without notoriety.

Lee Baca, citing budget constraints, has for years been releasing prisoners early. I know a young woman who was sentenced to a year in jail for driving under the influence, wrecking her car, and stabbing her boyfriend in a drunken rage (not necessarily in that order). She was released after only a few days to finish her sentence under house arrest.

Building prisons to treat alcoholism and drug addiction is like building graveyards to treat cancer. Look at crimes closely, and you’ll see that alcohol and drugs underlie the majority. Do we, as a society, want a real solution, or do we want a long bondage / corporal punishment scene? You tell me.

But, I get you. The girl flaunted the terms of her probation and now must suffer the consequences. She thought, ‘It Couldn’t Happen to ME! I’m PARIS HILTON.’ Her mother laughed derisively in court — in front of the judge! — at the very idea of a Hilton Going to Jail. O Boo Hoo Hoo for Poor Little Paris.

… & the Get Out of Jail Free card, btw, is brilliant! Well done.

By: Wood

Wood — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 14:56:08 +0000

I dunno about lynch mobs, but come on - the girl got caught driving with undue care and attention after a ban from drunk driving. She knew what the deal was going to be.

By: ian

ian — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 13:50:31 +0000

The lynchmob approach to this whole thing is lots of fun - you can hear them building the guillotines. Maybe when they have sorted out the vacuous celebrities they will turn on rich people generally. I was reading, however, that non-violent criminals in LA often serve only 10% of their sentences.