When I heard that Paris Hilton was released for "medical reasons" the other day my first reaction was that this was typical of the US justice system. If you have money and fame you get special treatment. It really did not upset me because the US justice system has never lived up to the ideal of equal justice for all.
Even so, like being a bystander at a serious accident scene, I could not ignore this story so I read more than a few stories on this continuing saga.
One piece of information that stood out for me in one of these stories is the fact that the Los Angeles county detention facilities are hopelessly overcrowded. As a result, inmates that are incarcerated for short periods of time for non-felony crimes generally only serve about 10% of their time before being released again, often into house arrest.
So considering Ms. Hilton was sentenced to 23 days in prison her serving two days and then being released into house arrest is entirely consistant with the practice of LA County prison system.
So that has me asking the questions. Is Ms. Hilton's fame causing her to be treated more harshly than other inmates in that facility? Could it be the lust for "equal justice" is actually having the opposite effect?
Make no mistake. I am not fan of Paris Hilton. However, I am concerned that the very thing that many are outraged about may be happening anyway. Her fame and fortune could be leading to special treatment and ultimately an injustice.
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