Oct 05 2010

Prison is NOT a Country Club 5 (Even For Lil’ Wayne, It Turns Out)

Here is the latest in my ongoing chronicles of Lil’ Wayne’s incarceration experience.

When we left Lil’ Wayne last, Forbes Magazine was proclaiming that prison was making him rich.

Well today, I read that Wayne has been sent to solitary confinement at Rikers Island (technically a jail).

From the article:

Lil’ Wayne will now have lots of alone time on his hands after getting banished to Rikers Island’s version of solitary confinement Monday, the Daily News has learned.

The rapper, jailed since March on a gun possession charge, was shipped to an isolation cell as punishment for previously getting nabbed with music-related contraband, Rikers Island sources said.

The platinum-selling star – who calls himself “Weezy” – will be confined to an isolation cell for up to 23 hours a day until his scheduled release on Nov. 4, the sources said.

Weezy won’t be going near other inmates during the rare moments when he is not locked down in a so-called “punitive segregation” cell – known as “The Bing” among Rikers Island jailbirds.

“He’s not in an area where he is mingling with other inmates – ever,” a Correction Department source said.

Lil’ Wayne, whose real name is Dwayne Carter, can blame his month-long loneliness on his love of music. Correction Department officers caught him with headphones and a charger for an MP3 player back in May.

Another inmate was found to be hiding the MP3 player itself.

Priority for punitive-segreation cells is given to inmates who commit violent infractions, so Rikers officials shipped Weezy off to The Bing when an opening became available yesterday.

Correction Department spokesman Stephen Morello confirmed Weezy’s transfer to punitive segregation Monday.

He will be confined in his isolation cell for 23 hours a day. In addition:

Even when he gets out of the isolation cell, he will still be segregated from all other inmates. He will continue to get a recreation hour, but it will be a solo workout. Even if he has to see a doctor, Rikers guards will make sure he won’t have contact with other jailbirds. He will get just one personal phone call a week.

It is my sincere hope that when he gets out of jail Wayne will actually speak to the realities of jail life instead of continuing to glamourize the experience as he has been. A girl can dream…