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OITNB Launches Real "Poussey Washington Fund"

Orange Is the New Black launches The Poussey Washington Fund to help incarcerated women
Orange Is the New Black launches The Poussey Washington Fund to help incarcerated women

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The final season of Orange Is the New Black has dropped on Netflix you guys...and the show is leaving a legacy like none other.

Not only has the Emmy award-winning series humanised people in the prison system while tackling issues of race, gender, religion and sexuality, it's now going to help incarcerated women in real life too, through the establishment of The Poussey Washington Fund.

Announced by OITNB creator Jenji Kohan at the Season 7 premiere in New York this week, the fund will focus on criminal justice reform and helping former inmates re-establish their lives outside of prison.

It's named after the Litchfield inmate played by Samira Wiley who's character generated so much discussion about the real-life prison system after featuring in one of the most provocative and shocking scenes of the series.

In a video announcing the initiative, Wiley says, "we've been honoured to tell these stories of these characters, and we've learned first-hand that the system is failing women, both inside and outside of prison walls."

Interestingly, the idea for the fund came about from a plot point in the final series where Danielle Brooks' character "Taystee" arranges micro-loans for women leaving prison.

As for the organisations that will benefit in real life? They're all about ending mass incarceration, protecting immigrant rights and supporting female inmates. You can learn more at crowdrise.com/PWF

Have you been watching Season 7? Tell us what you think below!

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