Egalitarians Search For Special Treatment In Paris Hilton’s Case

Los Angeles County jail officials vowed to treat Paris Hilton like any other inmate.

But the Sheriff’s Department on Thursday launched an internal investigation into whether the hotel heiress got special perks while at the Century Regional Detention Center in Lynwood.

The department union, which has long clashed with Sheriff Lee Baca, said deputies have come forward to complain that Hilton had free access to a cordless phone while other prisoners must wait in line to use pay phones during set hours.

Hilton also received daily visits from top brass at the Lynwood facility — including a captain who hand-delivered her mail — in contrast to others who get letters brought to them by inmate trusties, they said.

And officials were allegedly ordered to give her a new jail uniform while many inmates use recycled ones.

Two sheriff’s officials — who spoke on condition of anonymity — confirmed those details of her incarceration.

Michael Gennaco, chief attorney for the Sheriff’s Department’s Office of Independent Review, said he would track the investigation. The internal affairs bureau is conducting the probe at the request of the department’s head of custody.

“We want to make sure the department looks into these matters in an objective and thorough way,” Gennaco said. “Whatever allegations of special treatment are reported, we will ensure there is an appropriate inquiry and report the results of those reviews.”

Gennaco said his office was also examining other issues surrounding Hilton’s custody, which he would not detail.

Steve Whitmore, Baca’s spokesman, said the department’s information differed from what deputies told the union. “That’s why we need to let the investigation get to the bottom of it,” he said.

Until now, most of the debate surrounding Hilton’s 23-day jail sentence has centered on whether Baca gave “The Simple Life” star special treatment by releasing her to home detention five days into her sentence due to an unspecified medical condition.

A Times analysis of jail data found that Hilton ended up serving more time than other inmates facing similar charges,

Before she was sentenced last month, Baca repeated that deputies and other employees at the jail were told to treat the 26-year-old heiress like any other inmate.

Hilton will “experience her incarceration as all other women will experience it,” Baca told The Times before she went to jail. “She won’t get better food, she won’t get a different lockup time or a different environment.”

He also warned Hilton to take her incarceration seriously, and said she would remain as isolated as possible and follow the same rules as other inmates.

latimes.com

From: thewaymouth
Time: July 12, 2007, 10:10 pm

Considering she shouldn’t have even been there…

New prison uni.
Hand delivered mail.
Access to a cordless phone during call time.

Was she even THERE?

That’s all they got?
Please.