Orange Is The New Black: Why Every Major Character Was In Prison

Summary

• The Orange is the New Black
  characters have committed a range of serious crimes, including kidnapping, inciting riots, and murder.
• Piper Chapman, the protagonist, was in prison for perjury, inciting a riot, and smuggling drugs.
• The show highlights the challenges of life with mental illness within the prison system, as seen through characters like Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren.

The Litchfield inmates have committed a wide variety of crimes in Orange Is the New Black, and when looking back on the series years after it concluded in 2019 many forget why characters like Nicky, Suzanne, Red, and Dayanara are in prison. The raunchy Netflix dramedy Orange Is the New Black initially focused on protagonist Piper Chapman, who finds herself behind bars after a past transporting drug money catches up with her. Eventually, however, OITNB became just as much about the rest of the female inmates at Litchfield Penitentiary.

Litchfield may be a minimum-security prison, but some of the Orange is the New Black characters have committed surprisingly serious crimes. Most of the characters in the show are inmates, and while some like Piper are behind bars for serious yet nonviolent offenses like transporting money for a drug baron, others have much darker criminal backstories. Some have received Litchfield prison sentences for crimes like kidnapping, inciting riots, and even murder.

Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling)

Drug Smuggling, Inciting A Riot, Perjury

Orange is the New Black‘s Piper Chapman got into trouble thanks to her then-ex-girlfriend, Alex Vause. The two started dating after Piper graduated from college, and Piper didn’t seem to mind that Alex was an international drug smuggler. She even started traveling with Alex while her girlfriend was committing crimes. The charges were filed two years before the statute of limitations ended when Alex turned her in as someone she was working with, and Piper ended up being found guilty and sentenced to prison.

Piper was released from prison in
Orange Is the New Black
, season 7.

Piper was sentenced to 15 months in prison for a full list of crimes, including perjury, inciting a riot, and smuggling drugs for Alex. In addition, she was charged with (but not convicted of) accessory to murder, multiple counts of vandalism, theft, accessory to torture, and multiple counts of public indecency. She also assaulted Tiffany Doggett and framed Maria Ruiz. Piper was released from prison in Orange Is the New Black, season 7, where she went on to live with Neri and Cal and worked at a Thai restaurant.

Alex Vause (Laura Prepon)

Heroin Trafficking

It’s unknown how long Alex Vause’s sentence was, but she was imprisoned for heroin traffickingand a probation violation. Alex was a long-time drug smuggler and when she started dating Poper Chapman, she convinced her new girlfriend to join her as she traveled worldwide smuggling drugs. However, while she was the drug smuggler, and Piper was just along for the ride, Alex still betrayed her friend and turned her name over to the courts to get a short period removed from her prison sentence.

She was also guilty but not convicted of murder and dissecting and dismembering a human body. However, even after getting time knocked off her sentence, she remained incarcerated at the end of Orange Is the New Black, while Piper was released and finished her sentence. Since Piper had a 15-month sentence, Alex’s was clearly much longer. Audiences are likely never to find out how long her sentence was, as there will not be an Orange is the New Black season 8.

Galina “Red” Reznikov (Kate Mulgrew)

Inciting A Riot, Murder Conspiracy

Galina “Red” Reznikov was a factory worker during the 1970s in Soviet-era Russia. There, she began her criminal activities selling illegal contraband to Russians. When the KGB closed in, she fled to the United States. Years later, after having moved to the United States, Red was sentenced to 14 years in prison for inciting a riot and being heavily involved in a murder conspiracy with the Russian mafia. Many of the murders were not her doing, such as when Ganya killed Ilya.

Red is loosely based on a real-life prison inmate who is nicknamed “Pop.”

However, police found five bodies stored in freezers at Red’s house and she was the one who went down for it. While in prison, she was never rehabilitated and continued to carry on in a criminal role, running Red’s Family and even attempting to strangle Frieda in season 6. Due to her long sentence, she remained incarcerated at the end of Orange Is the New Black.

Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren (Uzo Abuda)

Kidnapping & Involuntary Manslaughter

Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren has one of the more tragic backstories: she was sentenced to 15 years in prison for kidnapping and involuntary manslaughter. Suzanne didn’t grow up with the same social development as other children. The incident that caused her arrest was when Suzanne was left alone by her sister Grace, so she went to a park to find a friend.

She met a young boy and took him back to her apartment. When the boy feared he was being kidnapped, he went to the fire escape and fell to his death. While Suzanne would’ve been better served to go to a mental health facility for treatment, she ended up in prison instead, thanks to a flawed public defender system. Orange Is the New Black explored this issue deeply, displaying how challenging life can be with a mental illness within the prison system. Suzanne remained incarcerated at the show’s conclusion.

Tasha “Taystee” Jefferson (Danielle Brooks)

Heroin Trafficking, Inciting A Riot, Murder

Orange is the New Black‘s Tasha “Taystee” Jefferson was a popular character in the show. Tasha grew up in the foster care system and ended up meeting Yvonne “Vee” Parker, a drug dealer. After Vee had Taystee’s adopted brother RJ killed, she began to use the girl to help her with her drug-dealing enterprise. This came back to bite Taysee when she was arrested. She was originally imprisoned for heroin trafficking, a parole violation, and inciting a riot.

However, after being released, she was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Correction Officer Desi Piscatella, despite the fact she was innocent. This was another tragic story told in Orange Is the New Black. The incident happened during the riot, where Officer Natoli accidentally shoots and kills Desi. However, the CERT officers shot him again and then framed Taystee, claiming that she was the one who killed him. She was supposed to get out, but crooked law enforcement ensured she would never be free.

Nicky Nichols (Natasha Lyonne)

Breaking & Entering, Possession Of Heroin

Nicky Nichols was born and raised in New York City but remained estranged from her wealthy socialite mother. She ended up being raised by a nanny, as neither her mother nor father wanted anything to do with raising and caring for her. Thanks to her broken home life, Nicky began abusing heroin and became addicted, which led to her almost dying more than once. Nicky had tried to sober up seven times before her arrest. She was originally sentenced to five years in prison for breaking and entering and the possession of heroin.

Red helped her get off drugs and cared for her through her detox. Sadly, Nicky’s life of crime never ended after going to prison, as she continued to deal drugs. After the discovery that she was smuggling heroin within Litchfield Penitentiary, her sentence was increased to an unknown amount of time. She remained in prison after Orange Is the New Black ended.

Tiffany “Pennsatucky” Doggett (Taryn Manning)

Aggravated Assault, Unregistered Firearms, Felony Escape

Tiffany “Pennsatucky” Doggett had a rough childhood with her mother using her for government money and then telling her to just accept a man wanting sex from her when she was only 10. Years later, Pennsatucky became addicted to meth and her promiscuity resulted in five abortions. She then shot a woman at an abortion clinic for mocking her for the number of abortions she had gotten over the years.

Pennsatucky was sentenced to at least 12 years for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, carrying unregistered firearms, and felony escape. She was also guilty, but not convicted of, conspiring to murder Piper Chapman, a murder attempt, and drug possession while in prison. During Orange Is the New Black’s final season, Doggett was still in prison and attempting to get her GED. However, after failing the attempt, Pennsatucky ended up overdosing on drugs and dying.

Gloria Mendoza (Selenis Leyva)

Food Stamp Fraud

Gloria Mendoza moved to the United States from Puerto Rico to find a better life for herself and her two daughters, Ceci and Elena. She ended up pregnant with her third child and bought her own share in a store. After having a fourth child, she tried to make more money to help support her family and started engaging in food stamp fraud in the corner store she owned. She tried to leave when she feared her boyfriend would kill her and her two sons, but the police arrested her before she could get away.

Gloria was imprisoned for an unspecified amount of time after an unsatisfied customer reported her to the police. During the events of Orange Is the New Black, Gloria Mendoza displays an amazing example of maternal affection, dutifully caring for the other inmates. Gloria almost had more time added on for smuggling in phones. However, at the show’s end, she is preparing to be released after Luscheck admits he was framing Gloria for the smuggled phones.

Cindy Hayes (Adrienne C. Moore)

Grand Theft

Cindy Hayes grew up in a very religious household, but she is also the mother to a girl who believes the two are sisters to protect the family’s religious reputation. While Cindy had a good job as a security officer and TSA agent in Pittsburgh, she was highly irresponsible, groping men while searching them and stealing passengers’ items and things from kiosks. She was caught and incarcerated for theft, although it is unclear what her sentence was.

In the first season, she was part of the Scared Straight program at the prison, and she is mostly lighthearted, playing pranks on people and pushing people’s buttons. Cindy Hayes was granted early release from prison in Orange Is the New Black season 7. Sadly, she goes back to her mother and sister/daughter but then ends up leaving when they immediately start fighting. Cindy begins to live on the streets in a tent while working as an elderly home caregiver.

Dayanara “Daya” Diaz (Dascha Polanco)

Possession Of Illegal Drugs, Murder

Dayanara Diaz was originally sentenced to 44 months in prison for possession of illegal drugs. Her mother, Aleida, was sentenced before her, and both women ended up involved in the drug trade thanks to their relationship with a dealer named Cesar, who was dating Aleida. The two women’s relationship was never strong, as Aleida always seemed jealous when Daya was happy as a child and manipulated her to feel that she always needed to follow her lead, which left both women in jail.

Sadly, Aleida was not guilty of the crimes she was convicted of, as she took the fall for Cesar. It is unclear if Daya’s prison sentence was also Cesar’s fault. While in prison, Daya fell in love with Officer John Bennett. However, during the riot in season 4, she murdered a correctional officer and was most likely sentenced to life in prison. She remained incarcerated at the end of Orange Is the New Black, now addicted to oxycontin and more dangerous than ever.

Lorna Morello (Yael Stone)

Mail Fraud, Attempted Murder

Lorna Morello received a 34-month sentence during Orange Is the New Black for mail fraud, a restraining order violation, and attempted murder. This came when she was in the middle of her mail-order scam when she met a man and fell for him. When he didn’t return her affection, she began stalking him and tried to kill him and his girlfriend with a homemade explosive device. The police arrested her after this, and she ended up in prison for the murder attempt.

She was likely to have an extended sentence due to her erratic and dangerous behavior.

At the end of the show, Lorna Morello still had two years left on her sentence, but she was likely to have an extended sentence due to her erratic and dangerous behavior while incarcerated. Lorna ended up involved with Red, and she was still threatening to kill other inmates in the final season, making it look like an early release was going to be out of the question for the inmate. Her character is based on a mix between Minetta and Rosemarie in the memoir.

Poussey Washington (Samira Wiley)

Trespassing, Possession Of Cannabis With Intent To Sell

Poussey Washington was a smart and caring woman who was mostly a good kid while growing up. Unlike many other inmates, she was close to her mother and a military brat to a father, who was a United States Army General. However, after meeting a performance troupe while lost in New York City, Poussey gets involved in a party lifestyle and gets arrested. She was sentenced to six years in prison after she trespassed and was caught in possession of cannabis with the intent to sell the drugs.

Poussey was heartbreakingly accidentally suffocated by a correctional officer, Baxter Bayley, during a demonstration in the cafeteria that was supposed to be peaceful. His aggressive and improper restraint of Poussey further demonstrated the prison brutality depicted in Orange Is the New Black.

Marisol “Flaca” Gonzales (Jackie Cruz)

Fraud, Child Endangerment

Marisol Gonzales is one of the youngest inmates at the prison, and she was a teacher before her arrest. She was imprisoned after one of the kids at her high school died by suicide by jumping off the roof of the school. While that normally wouldn’t be a teacher’s fault, the student died after buying and using some of the fake drugs that Flaca had been producing and selling at the school. She sold fake LSD (paper and water) to make extra money, knowing most kids wouldn’t know better.

She was tragically correct. One student, Jason, was suicidal and depressed. She believed he was suffering the placebo effects of the drug before taking his own life by jumping from the roof of a building to his death. She was found guilty of fraud and endangerment. It is unclear how long her prison sentence was, but she remained incarcerated at the end of Orange Is the New Black season 7. She was only 21 or 22 when the series started.