The prospect of Hilton’s arrival was on the minds of some at the 2,200-bed jail. "If it was me, I’d want to see her, because she’s famous!" said 29-year-old Trishan Bell during a visit with her mother, who is serving an eight-year sentence for drug-related offences.

Susannah Johnson, who was released on Saturday after a one-day stay at the jail, said many inmates were angry at Hilton, believing officials were making room for the starlet at the expense of other inmates already coping with crowded conditions. "The only advice I could give her when she comes is to shut her mouth and do the time," said Johnson, 35, of Claremont.

The 13-year-old jail, five miles south of downtown Los Angeles, has been an all-female prison since March 2006. The two-storey concrete building sits in an industrial neighbourhood, beside railway tracks and beneath a bustling freeway.

Although a judge sentenced her to 45 days behind bars, Hilton is expected to serve only 23 days because of a state law that requires shorter sentences for good behaviour, said sheriff’s spokesman Steve Whitmore.

Once she arrives, the Simple Life star will be housed in the jail’s "special needs" unit. Like other inmates in the special-needs area, Hilton will take her meals in her cell and will be allowed outside the 12ftx8ft space for at least an hour each day to shower, watch TV in the day room, participate in outdoor recreation or talk on the phone.

Inmates are not allowed to bring mobile phones into the jail.

Paris ’already has her cellmate’ - May 31 2007
Prison authorities have apparently already chosen the woman who will be sharing a cell with Paris Hilton when she goes to jail next month.

It is not known who she is, but TMZ.com reports that she is incarcerated for reckless driving. The site says that Paris’s new friend is in the cell, awaiting the socialite’s arrival.

Officials in the prison have allegedly been very worried about breaches of security when Paris heads to the slammer. One of the criteria for her cellmate was someone who they hoped would not cash in on the experience.

Inevitable offers of millions from the tabloids will most likely prove otherwise. Not only that, but prison guards are being warned that they will be fired if they try to take any pictures of the star and thorough searches are being conducted to uncover any electronic gadgets.

TMZ says they have sources who reveal that a document detailing "when and how things should be done for" Paris has been written up.


Paris down in the dumps? - May 31 2007
Paris Hilton is apparently already suffering the consequences of her impending jail time, after reportedly being snubbed by some of her friends and dropped from a glamorous photo book.

While the hotel heiress has been putting on a brave face in front of LA’s photographers in recent days, a source alleges that she’s become tearful in private.

The source told People magazine: "She breaks down crying a lot because she just can’t deal with the reality and the pressure of everything that is happening."

The 26-year-old blonde will serve about 23 days in California’s Century Regional Detention Facility in the coming weeks for violating the terms of her probation in an alcohol-related reckless driving case.

"She really can’t take how most people around her have scattered and distanced themselves," claimed the source, who added that Paris has been relying on her family for emotional support.