Rapper Lil' Kim

Despite which crime you think is nobler, Stewart was jailed for five months at Alderson Federal Prison Camp in Alderson, West Virginia; a prison for women guilty of mostly non-violent crimes. The prison is nicknamed "Camp Cupcake" because of the ease of serving a prison sentence there. Built in 1927, Alderson was the first federal prison for women. It’s located in the scenic hills of West Virginia, with no metal fences surrounding the camp, no cells, no bars, no locked doors, and no barbed wire. It is described as looking like a college by a former inmate. The inmates have fixed schedules and have to work, but their free time can be spent playing volleyball, softball, tennis, or even doing aerobics.

So with Kim being found guilty for seemingly the same thing why was she sent to Philadelphia’s Federal Detention Center (PFDC), a prison housing both male and female inmates who are behind bars for mostly violent crimes? It’s far from the summer camp prison Martha was chillin’ at. The PFDC is an 11-story high rise facility, with four inch wide windows in the middle of downtown Philly with hardly any outdoor facilities.

"I have unfortunately been assigned to a federal detention center instead of a prison camp as discussed, in the city of Philadelphia," Kim said in a statement. "I am not certain that this constitutes fair and equal treatment."

Kim’s lawyers are currently trying to get her to a prison camp facility similar to Alderson.

"Martha Stewart got the cupcake facility, and Lil' Kim gets the concrete jungle," said Kim’s lawyer L. Londell McMillan. "We're certainly not asking for preferential treatment, but we also don't want her to be treated less favorably. This is an undue hardship on someone who has accepted responsibility for her actions."

I’m hardly a Lil' Kim fan. Her music is raunchy, degrading, and foul, but I have her back on this prison situation. I guess it should be expected that a white woman who the entire country adores will get better treatment than a Black woman who is a rapper and associates with other rappers.

But it isn’t only about being behind bars and looking out of four inch windows instead of sleeping in a cabin and playing volleyball. It has to do with Kim’s celebrity as well. At just 4’11", Kim lives up to the "lil" moniker. She is bound to be tested by other inmates. The PFDC is an urban jail that houses cats from the streets. They know who she is, they know what she raps about, they know she has a new album and video out, and they know she’s got a little bit of change waiting for her when she finishes her sentence. What’s to stop inmates from trying to blackmail her into throwing some money their way for protection? Or even trying to box with her to see if what she says on her albums is for real? It doesn’t matter if you can live up to what you rap about, but if you have dozens of cats trying to test you simultaneously, it’s kind of dangerous.

Lil' Kim

Some critics will be quick to say, "‘Well, she deserves it. She committed a crime and she has to be punished for it and face the consequences of living a life behind bars. Getting tested is part of the process."

But is that justice? To allow a first-time offender who was convicted of a non-violent crime to do her time among hardened criminals while Martha Stewart plays tennis and does aerobics with other women doing the same? I guess life isn’t fair.

Kim is said to be doing fine. Rumors were swirling: she was forced to cut her hair, all the inmates were interrogating her, and she was put in solitary confinement to escape the attention. But Kim released a statement saying she was alright. "I want all my friends, family and fans to know that I am in good spirits and I will be fine," Kim said. "Contrary to the rumors, I am in general population at PFDC and I have adjusted to the facility and to my fellow inmates who are all cool people. Each day, I read, sharpen my focus and grow. Of course, I wish I could be out to celebrate the release of my new album this week, The Naked Truth, but instead, I am looking to take advantage of this time to work on my personal development. Thank you to all for your continued support."

Apparently that’s all that really needs to be said. She is asking that fans write her:

Kimberly Jones 56198-054 FDC
Philadelphia Federal Detention Center
P.O. Box 562
Philadelphia, PA 19106


Editor’s note: Quibian Salazar-Moreno is a freelance journalist residing in Denver, Colorado. He can be reached through his website at www.qsviews.com.