“Orange Is The New Black” Author Visits SouthCoast Prison

Piper Kerman, author of "Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison," made an appearance at an unlikely place in Dartmouth the other day.The real-life inspiration behind the hit Netflix original series spoke to female inmates at the Bristol County Sheriff's Office Women's Center Tuesday.

Bristol County Bristol County Sheriff Thomas M. Hodgson released a statement:

"Hearing Piper Kerman offer her perspective about life behind bars and the importance of rehabilitative programs reinforces to our staff that our philosophy of adding 'tools' to an inmate's 'tool box' is the most significant contribution we can make to help inmates successfully reintegrate into society and live a productive life making proper choices.”

The Netflix show “Orange Is The New Black” imitates the real-life story of Kerman who was born to an affluent family in Boston. Fresh out of college the 24-year-old she smuggled a suitcase of drug money across international borders. A decade later she was sent to a prison in Connecticut.

According to a press release, Kerman is regularly asked to speak to many different groups, such as “federal probation officers, public defenders, justice reform advocates and volunteers, book clubs and formerly and currently incarcerated people.”

Here’s another SouthCoast connection – the character inspired by Kerman is played by Taylor Schilling who is the daughter of attorney Robert J. Schilling, a former Bristol County prosecutor who currently does criminal defense work in New Bedford.

Additional reporting by Victoria Meneses