
#TaniaOnTheScene - Being sent “up the river” traditionally refers to Sing Sing Prison in Ossining, New York about 30 miles up the Hudson from New York City. Grammy winning Singer Lauryn Hill was sentenced in Newark. She could still appeal her sentence, but my guess is she won’t even if she thinks it’s unfair. If the singer does go to jail, it will be brief and though no facility was specified, it will likely be in a reduced security facility.
Hill is charged with failure to pay federal taxes on 1.8 million dollars earned between 2005-2007.
Ms. Hill didn’t get probation alone as she had requested, but she drew only 3 months of incarceration. That is quite a good deal compared to the 24 to 36 months she faced. See The tax education of Lauryn Hill: Prison. Her lawyer Nathan Hochman did a superb job of keeping her sentence down, stressing how she had stepped up, paid all her taxes, and more. In fact, a prior delay in sentencing may have been due to the fact that paying first is clearly better.

