Orange Is the New Black author Piper Kerman is hopeful that the Netflix series on which her memoir was based will open people's eyes to prison issues.

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Kerman, who wrote Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison, appeared at the Opening Nights series in Tallahassee, Fla. where she spoke about the influx of female imprisonment as of late.

"There has been an 800 percent increase in female incarceration over the last 30 years," she declared. "Women are the fastest-growing part of the criminal justice system population. Does this mean there's a female crime wave going on? No."

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As Kerman said, two-thirds of female incarceration is due to property crimes and drug offenses, causing many families to be torn apart.

However, Kerman's time in prison was one of acceptance and friendship among many of her fellow prisoners. She expressed her gratitude to those who became her friend and helped her make it through.

Kerman's story was adapted for Netflix, with the Orange Is the New Black TV series going on to great critical and commercial success. She is hopeful that this story being seen by so many will help viewers be exposed to issues in prison and in the justice system.

"I'm so grateful someone with a provocative and creative vision wanted to do this show," she said. "If the show encourages people to think about these issues, I could not be more grateful."

Orange Is the New Black returns for its third season in mid-2015 on Netflix, though the streaming network has not yet announced a specific release date.

Tags
Orange is the New Black, Television, Netflix