Piper Eressea Kerman (born September 28, 1969) is an American writer who was indicted in 1998 on charges of felonious money-laundering activities and sentenced to 15 months\' detention in a federal correctional facility, of which she eventually served 13. Her memoir of her prison experiences, Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women\'s Prison, was adapted into the critically acclaimed Netflix original comedy-drama series Orange Is the New Black.\n', '

Since leaving prison, Kerman has spoken widely about women in jail and about her own experiences there. She now works as a communication strategist for non-profit organizations.\n', '

Kerman was born in Boston into a family which included many attorneys, doctors, and educators. She graduated from Swampscott High School in Swampscott, Massachusetts in 1987, and Smith College in 1992. She is a self-described WASP (although her paternal grandfather was Russian Jewish).\n', '

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