Orange Is the New Black: The Memoir

A while back I mentioned that I may or may not have wasted an entire day watching the Orange is the New Black Netflix series. Well, I ended up buying the book that inspired the show. Piper Kerman's Memoir reflects on her year in a women's prison. After watching the show I was obviously intrigued. I've always been terrified of prison, yet completely interested in the dynamics, crime, and the law. Kerman was convicted of a 10-year-old drug charge and sentenced to just over a year in federal prison.

The book can get monotonous at times just because there are so many characters and elements to her story. I loved the way that she spoke about her experiences because she made them relatable while talking about something most of us have never had to experience. Its hard not to admire Piper's ability to cope with her situation and take the good out of the bad. Although she did have time to get ready for her stay in federal prison, I don't think anyone can truly prepare to put on the orange jumpsuit and live in a concrete cube for any extended period of time. I suppose learning to deal was Piper's strong point.

I've always imagined fights and violence among inmates, but Piper's experience shows that bonds among strangers can be made in the most unlikely of places. She created incredible bonds with some of the women she lived with. Between sharing books, to stories, and living space, they formed friendships to cope with their situations.

I was already aware about people becoming "institutionalized" before reading this book. Its when inmates are incarcerated for so long that they get comfortable with their routine and don't know how to deal with it once they are set free. Piper gave me a more personal view on this scenario. One of her fellow inmates had been incarcerated so long that she had no idea what a computer even was. You have to sympathize with someone doing 30 years for a drug charge that they did when they were in their 20s and now are hit with a harsh dose of reality. They have done their time and come out behind the 8 ball, with nothing to help them get on their feet. And because of that, a lot of these people go out and commit a crime just to get back into prison. You ask why they would do that? Sometimes prison is the only way to ensure a bed to sleep and food to eat. Very sad, if you ask me.

All in all, Orange Is the New Black was a solid read. I love the law, crime, and everything that goes with it. Once I finished this one, I went and got Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn (author of Gone Girl) and its turning into quite the tale. You all will hear my views on it once I'm finished!