Is Jail like Orange is the New Black from Netflix? Or Worse...

There are some real elements of the show that ring true. Orange has a number of outlandish characters who represent stereotypical versions of inmates audiences may think of when imagining a federal corrections institution. At first glance, Orange Is the New Black supposedly chronicles the typical journey through a female prison for a not-so-typical convict. However, a closer look at the United States federal corrections system makes it clear that InmateAid Twitter-follower and author of Orange Piper Chapman's stay in federal prison is a TV fantasy most women behind bars would hardly recognize. 

Kerman provides audiences a shallow glimpse into the inner workings of a women's federal prison. The only problem is the show fails to mention a few key points about what it's like being locked up. There is a lot the show's information is accurate but over-dramatic. The reality is that most women's federal prisons are really housing low-level drug offenders. If prison life were really like they depicted in the show, there would be a line to get in. Most women in the U.S. prison system aren't notorious criminals; the typical female inmate is serving time for drug charges or white collar financial offenses.