So, I'm putting captions on cats today, and I come across another article about Paris Hilton. In case you actually have something to do with your lives other than trawl through articles about anything and everything, here's a little summary.

Last year, Paris Hilton was caught drink-driving and had her licence suspended for 3 years. She was pulled over by police earlier this year, and was given a 45 day jail sentence, which has now been reduced to 23 for 'good behaviour', which she will serve in short order. The articles in question arose not because some celebrity was caught comitting a crime, but because people were trying to get her off the hook. Some time after she received her sentence, petitions arose on the internet, from fans (as a side note, what does this woman do that generates fans?) who thought that she should be let off. At the time of the first article going up, one such petition had around 11,000 names. Naturally, the internet being the residence of many people, other petitions arose doing the exact opposite. I believe these ended up outweighing the original, but this is not the point.

I take issue with several things raised by these articles. Firstly, the very idea of petitioning the Governator to let her off is ludicrous. It also irritates me beyond belief that she apparently has commented on the petition, which appeared on myspace, encouraging people to sign it. People should not be sentenced according to how popular they are. Simple as that.

Secondly, it irritates me that she used ignorance as a defence, as apparently, she employs someone to open all of her mail, and therefore didn't know that her licence had been suspended. Allegedly, she just signs whatever this person puts under her nose (which, I might add, resulted in someone making the marvellous suggestion that someone should put the anti-Paris petition in front of her). I really hope for the sake of the collective intelligence of humanity that she plays up the stupid when it suits her. I mean, seriously, did she think there would be no repercussions for doing something which is illegal because it's dangerous? But again, this is not the point.

Finally, the point. Whilst doing porridge, she will be staying in a special block reserved for "celebrities, public officials, police officers, and other high-profile inmates". This is really what I wanted to bring up. Should 'high profile' people really be segregated like this? I doubt they receive any special treatment, but still. Exceptions are being made based on the popularity and fame of a person. I can understand the argument that perhaps she would be victimised were she placed with 'regular' inmates, but I'm fairly certain that there are prison wardens to prevent this taking place, and is that not just another price of fame?

Should this seperation of celebrities and common men take place?

Discuss.

No. Stupid stupid stupid stupid. It's ridiculous that anyone should not serve a sentence, or that their sentence should be adjusted, due to popularity. Drunken driving is a serious offense and I would stick her in there for at least six months. Grrr.

Yes, they should be in a seperate place because they are more at risk than an average person for some sort of harrassment. They should receive no special treatment, but I think that if they were in with the general population, they could be at greater risk, which would not be fair.

Having the risk of being thrown in with the general population would provide greater incentive for celebrities and such to obey the law instead of assuming they're above it. Putting them in seperate cells but in the same area as the rest of the prisoners would work well in my opinion. They could be taken to a seperate area when out of the cells maybe or just better supervised to prevent attempts at violence towards them.

I so totally beat you to the punch... but it was via a blog I wrote in which I also complained about Playboy, Bratz Dolls and Beth Ditto.

I find the Paris Hilton phenomenon utterly disgusting, and I don't think I could put any more emphasis on that word if I tried. She deserves to get put in prison alongside the "plebs" without her mobile phone or body guard.
She is an awful role model for her doting fans (why are they fans?! What the hell are they fans of?) and the media should all igore her for a bit. ooOoo, that would be an interesting punishment.
Her excuse of not knowing is utter b******t, and I think it is terrible that her sentence has been cut in half for "good behaviour".

If I continue writing I will just start ranting about her and her lifestyle, so I will stop here.

They shouldn't be segregated, if their lives are hell when in prison, they won't want to go back again, because then they'll know non one is going to save them. When celebs realise this they'll be less inclined to commit crime, they will become better role models and everyone wins...

Anywho, doesn't it cost taxpayers more money to segregate people and stuff?

Celebrities should be punished in line with non-famous people. All equal under the law and all that. That much is common sense.

However when the state incarcerates an individual it takes up a duty of care to the person. They can not put them into situations where they would be needlessly exposed to additional harm. No cruel or unusual punishment either for that matter. You could quite possibly extend this to mean that all prisoners should be given private wards, but that isn't practical.

Celebrities will be targets for all sorts of attacks for a host of reasons. Jealousy, monetary gain, what have you. The State has to minimise this risk as best it can while still carrying out the sentence due. Celebrities are high profile, so when this is applied to them it becomes big news.

Then again maybe she just seduced the judge.

My opinion, in this in particular, is black and white.

She is a human and she committed a crime. She should be punished accordingly. Celebrities choose to do what they do and they must accept the consequences of their actions accordingly. Her choice of profession makes her high risk. Don't want to get shanked in a prison shower? DON'T DO THE GOD DAMN CRIME!

I've spent 27 years of my life NOT committing crimes (mostly). It's really not that hard.

Well said

All criminals should be punished equally, and I agree with Calantyr on this one, saying that she would receive unequal punishment to other felons if she were put in a normal section of the prison.

The conditions in all sections of the prison should be the same, but the punishment for the crime is to be imprisoned, not to be threatened. Let's face it, this is America so the first person to slap around Paris Hilton in prison would most likely get a biopic made of their life story. That is not acceptable. Paris Hilton rightly deserves to go to jail, because that is the law, but she does not deserve to be put at higher risk than an average inmate.

Offenders are usually placed in a prison with roughly equivalent other offenders, e.g. you don't find a shop-lifter being put in a maximum security wing. If the other sections of the jail are putting normal prisoners at risk then that is a problem of the prison system, and nothing to do with Ms. Hilton. The law only states that she should be imprisoned, from then on the duty of the state is to make sure she suffers her legal punishment and no more.

Celebrities should not be treated as such when they commit a crime. They are supposed to be setting examples of good behaviour. Look at Robert Downey Jr. He did time. Why shouldn't she?

I think putting her in solitary confinement would be the best thing. A. because other inmates might single her out because of she is famour and B. because she LOVES attention and putting her on her own without any contact MIGHT teach her some humility. Although I doubt it.

*cry*

So she's in prison and in the special politicians and high profile celebrity area now. Why oh why won't the news shut up about her. Today on the news, "yeah, some girl was killed in the woods and some man may or maynot have did it. But in other news that gets 20 times as much news time complete with on location footage (reporter outside the prison) and interviews, paris hilton has been in prison for a whole day, of her 23 days sentence, that means she has 22 days left!"

Firstly I wanted to hit my television for explaining to me what 23 days subtract 1 day equals. But then, incase that didn't cause quite enough facial twitches (in fairness I am full of odd ticks and gestures so i probably would have appeared normal), I was then greeted to a rediculously indepth description of possible scenarios for what life might be like for her after her first day in prison.

I am fairly certain that woman will come out more famous than she went in. Next year I won't have a TV, you know what? I think I'll start getting used to that from today. I can watch DVDs on my pc/laptop thanks

Oo, life without TV. I could probably go for that. I do like a few series, but I can wait until they come out in another format (DVD, download). Life without computers... Unthinkable!

Aaand she's out. She spent all of 3 days in prison, out of an original 45 day sentence. Yay justice!

I would imagine it's still quite unpleasant for her. If not worse. I mean being kept in prison is horrible (I would imagein) but being held hostage in your own home and having constant reminders of what you can't have can't be brilliant either.

Strangely enough, while I was waiting for someone, I checked out the story on my mobile and she spoke to a reporter quite eloquently and maturely and said she was prepared to do the time as she'd committed an offence and shouldn't be treated any differently.

Personally, this could've been a big spiel she'd been told to say by her PR agent but she sounded genuine. I can't really judge her as I don't know her.

At least now she's out we won't have count down counters or anything about how many days she's got left plaguing us

Disgusting. Her personal psychiatrist checked her out and said she was about to have a nervous breakdown, so got her moved to her flipping mansion. Oh woe, what a shame. Forced to spend a couple of months surrounded by all the toys you can buy with daddies paycheck.

They should have at least gotten the prisons psychiatrist to check her out so it would be -impartial-. But oh no.

Urgh. I'm all for proving her special protection from inmates due to her status, but she's gotten off scott-free.

Money really does place you above the law.

She's out? bleh...

Prison is not supposed to be a nice place. I always find it odd how often that is forgotten. It's supposed to be unpleasant, and it's supposed to feel like a negative experience in your life. It's supposed to leave a lasting bad mental effect on someone that has been there.

If it didn't there would be no point in prison. If we took away people's freedom and then did everything within our power to make them feel like it wasn't that bad an experience then why bother with the prison system? Prison's not just s deterrent to commiting crime, it's a punishment for the people that commit crime.

So why oh why, was she let out of prison on the basis that she didn't like it there? "Oh no, Paris Hilton is finding prison un-nice, quick quick, lets bring her back to her home comforts and lock her up there!" Seems so foolish.

Ha, she just had a hearing this morning. The judge SENT HER BACK to completely serve her sentence. Kudos to that guy!

Your news just made me sex-wee in joy a little bit.

Just a bit.

Ohhh.. I'm all moist.

That made me squeal with joy!

My sexiness excites you.

There's sexiness going around and I'm left out? Awwww.

*Ahem*


All hail Mother Hilton! The Lord works in mysterious ways!

.... or she's trying to salvage what's left of her reputation. You be the judge.

Not only that but according to the Tube Tabloids, she is costing the prision system £560 a day, as opposed to the usual £50. Supposedly for "medical needs". Being treated differently to other prisoners? I think so.

Medical needs - err no, apparently she refuses to eat or drink because she's worried someone would be sad enough to photograph her on the toilet... Why does she care? people have seen her having sex, there have been pictures published where she's gone out with no underwear, she's done all manner of things, it's ridiculous.

And then she comes out with this whole routine saying that she's not going to act dumb anymore because it's no longer funny and that she wants to help sick kids... Ploy to get sentence reduced or maybe something to put in an autobiography? i think so

I would argue that it's about rehablitation as well. Punishment is not the be and end all; at some point we have to reintroduce people into civilisation.

Aye that is true, but in paris hilton's case she's getting far from the end all, it's a month and a half in prison isolated from the other criminals. Human rights shouldn't be infringed and at least attempts should be made to sort their lives out after.

But Paris will be able to pay for help and therapists and whatever she needs far beyond what most people could dream of.