A new documentary about Martha Stewart sheds light on her experience in prison. In 2004, Martha Stewart was found guilty of conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and lying to investigators. She spent five months at Alderson Federal Prison Camp in West Virginia. A new Netflix documentary, Martha, focuses on the entrepreneur’s story, and includes personal letters that she wrote while she was in prison.
Although the federal prison where Martha Stewart spent five months is nicknamed “Camp Cupcake,” Martha finds that nickname misleading. In her personal letters, she wrote about the harsh punishment she allegedly endured when she got in trouble for touching a guard.
Looking back at the experience, Martha said that “it was not a cupcake,” per People.
Martha claimed that she “was dragged into solitary for touching an officer,” according to People.
In her letters, she wrote about the behavior that allegedly led to the harsh punishment she faced. “Today I saw two very well-dressed ladies walking and I breezed by them, remarking on the beautiful warm morning and how nice they looked. When I realized from the big silver key chain that they were guards, I lightly brushed the chain,” she wrote.
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“Later I was called in to be told never, ever touch a guard without expecting severe reprimand,” Martha continued. She claimed that she spent time in solitary confinement with “no food or water for a day.”
While the Federal Bureau of Prisons declined to comment on Martha Stewart’s specific allegations from her 2004 prison stint, the agency released a statement saying, “The Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP) does not have solitary confinement units. While some facilities have restrictive housing units, Federal Prison Camp Alderson does not have one,” according to Us Weekly. “In cases where it becomes necessary to temporarily remove an individual from the general population, FBOP facilities may use secure observation areas under direct supervision.”
The FBOP emphasized that conditions are “safe and humane. Every individual is provided with the basic necessities of life including regular meals three times a day and access to potable water regardless of where they are housed,” the agency said in a statement, according to People.
In addition to speaking about the alleged punishment she dealt with in prison, Martha described the general conditions in the prison she stayed in. In particular, she had a problem with the food in prison.
“What worries me is the very poor quality of the food and the unavailability off fresh anything as there are many starches and many carbs, many fat foods. No pure anything,” Martha wrote. “Everything was terrible.”
Martha will be released on Netflix on October 30, 2024.
