MovieChat Forums > Orange Is the New Black (2013) Discussion > The reasons they are in prison: a summar...

The reasons they are in prison: a summary (help wanted!)


One of the more interesting aspects of OITNB, is the fact that we’re never really specifically told what these women did that earned them a one-way ticket to Litchfield. Some crimes we know about, some are hinted at, and many, at this point, are still a complete mystery.

So I thought we could make a list. Because let’s face it: when it comes to inmates, we’re all more than a little bit curious… I also hope some of you can help me fill in the gaps. Some of these I’m really not sure about, or maybe I missed something? So any help would be greatly appreciated.

Here’s what we know for a fact:
Piper: smuggled drug money across the border.
Alex: drug trafficking.
Sophia: credit card fraude.
Gloria Mendoza: income (tax) fraude.
Lorna Morello: stalking.
Pennsatucky: killed the abortion clinic lady with a shotgun.
Crazy Eyes: (as we just found out) is responsible for the kidnapping and death of a young boy.
Poussey: (as we also just found out) “possession of illegal substances with intent to sell – less than 15 grams”.
Flaca: inadvertently responsible for her classmate’s suicide.
Maritza Ramos: grand theft auto on a high-class level.
Aleida Diaz: drug manufacturing and dealing.
Yoga Jones: accidentally shot and killed an 8-year-old boy (thinking he was a deer…)
Sister Jane Ingalls: was apparently incarcerated because of some kind of protest? (somebody help me here because I never got this…)
Frieda: 4 counts of murder in a single year. Allowed to “retire” in Litchfield because of age and good behavior.
Chang: apparently was some kind of major crime mogul back in her day…
Judy King (a.k.a. Martha Stewart): tax evasion/fraude.
Red: something really big to do with the Russian mob. And thanks to Pictatella we now know ‘they’ found 5 bodies in her freezer…

Here’s what we had to read between the lines:
Nicky: not entirely sure, but I can only assume it has something to do with drugs.
Maria Ruiz: something to do with drugs?
Leanne Taylor: also something with drugs…
Angie Rice: DEFINITELY drugs. Even though her story has not been told yet.

And here’s what we DON’T know (or I wasn’t paying attention):
Daya: ??
Big Boo: ??
Taystee: ??
Cindy: ??
Janae: ??
Norma: Ok, we know that she pushed the creepy cult-guy off a cliff, but there were NO witnesses around when it happened and as far as the police was concerned, he could have just as easily jumped or slipped. So I don’t get it.
Blanca Flores: ??
Brook Soso: ??
Anita DeMarco: I have a feeling it was disclosed, but I missed it?
Lolly Whitehill: ??

These are what I consider to be the most important characters, let’s leave the rest for now. Thanks to everyone who’s still reading this and taking the time to reply!

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Thanks OP :) As someone that just started the show and doesn't completely understand how the flashbacks work this is nice.

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Watching these flashbacks sometimes makes me wonder how these are federal crimes... Of course murder, drug trafficking and a HUGE amounts of fraud are...

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Federal crimes not only involve interstate crimes, but also federally protected items, such as insurance fraud, mail fraud, credit card fraud, etc.

But I think most of the seemingly minor or state crimes were tried as federal because they occurred in places protected under federal law, such as nuclear sites or abortion clinics or in National parks.

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Daya took the fall for her stepfather figure... Lolly is schizo and fought the cops who tried to move her along when her shopping cart broke.

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They need to be flagellated.

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