Entertainment

The 'OITNB' Inmates Are Standing Up For Themselves

by Taylor Ferber

The women of Litchfield appear to be joining forces like never before. Season 4 of Orange Is the New Black sadly ended with Poussey's accidental death, when a guard suffocated her during her attempt at a peaceful protest. While that was undeniably devastating, there is one bright side; Poussey's death ignited a war. Now, the women of Litchfield, regardless of their backgrounds which previously divided them, are uniting to rebel against the system. With the debut of the Orange Is the New Black Season 5 trailer on Wednesday, fans see the inmates ruffling feathers to be heard. And their actions go far beyond getting the attention of Litchfield Warden Caputo. And you may be wondering, who are the inmates writing to in the OITNB trailer?

After showing the women distraught over Poussey's death, the trailer gives a preview of how they ultimately come together to fight for justice. One brief scene shows Alison Abdullah reading a letter out loud. "To whom it may concern, we, the inmates of Litchfield, are human beings. We're protesting the abuse of conditions under which we are being held," she says. Meanwhile, police car lights are flashing in the background on the prison grounds. While the trailer does show inmates expressing their frustrations and anger toward Caputo, this letter is certainly not for him, or anyone who works at Litchfield. This is bigger.

Getting technical, Litchfield is run by the Federal Department of Corrections, and it's a minimum and maximum-security prison. Although it's currently unconfirmed, it's likely the women have written to the powers above Litchfield Penitentiary, perhaps the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). The BOP is the law enforcement agency (and part of the U.S. Department of Justice) responsible for federal prison operations and care of inmates.

Based on the trailer, the women of Litchfield have already received state (and possibly national) attention at this point, considering the police lights flashing while Alison reads the letter. It's also possible they're reaching out to news organizations to get their attention and attempt to create real change.

Later in the trailer, the women are ready to make their case as to why they're treated so horribly and are protesting for their well-being. "We're gonna give 'em a show," Big Boo, who's dressed in a suit, tells Pennsatucky. After, Flaca and Maritza get camera-ready and excited for fame, as photographers snap away at the prison from the outside grounds.

Next in the clip, Piper is seen holding up a phone to three of the girls, including Taystee, who are on FaceTime with a woman in a blazer, demanding that they want to be taken seriously. It's possible that maybe this woman is part of the BOP or a news organization.

The women aren't backing down and are making sure their voices are being heard, both inside the prison halls and in the outside world. "We get to make demands, no idea is a bad idea," Alison tells the girls as she passes paper around the cafeteria.

Although Poussey's death and their overall quality of life is heartbreaking, it's ironically uplifting watching the women unite to make change, not only for themselves, but for those who will come after them.