Prison changes uniform because Orange Is The New Black made jumpsuits 'cool'

A MICHIGAN SHERIFF says he’s trading his inmates’ orange jumpsuits for black-and-white stripes, in part due to pop culture.

Saginaw County Sheriff William Federspiel tells The Saginaw News that all-orange jumpsuits are increasingly viewed as fashionable, especially because they’re seen on popular TV shows such as the Netflix smash hit Orange Is the New Black.

Federspiel says “some people think it’s cool to look like an inmate of the Saginaw County Jail … wearing all orange jumpsuits out at the mall or in public.” He says inmates sometimes work in public, and he doesn’t want there to be any confusion.

The new stripy uniforms.

Source: THE SAGINAW NEWS MLIVE.COM

The jailhouse fashions come relatively cheap. The sheriff says the jumpsuits, which last for about two to three years, cost about €9 apiece.