When incarcerated, most inmates expect to have some basic necessities provided for—things like food, safety, shelter, and clothing. But for a group of kids at Cook Co. Juvenile Temporary Detention Center in Chicago, that list is longer and includes access to the rec yard, library, and chapel. And if those resources are disrupted for any reason, they will sue your ass.
In 2015, Terrence Howard and Chris Rock showed up on their turf to shoot scenes for the second season of Empire, and, well, the amenities at the prison dropped from five stars to three stars. The place was on lockdown for two weeks while the production shot its fake prison story. Meanwhile, the real prisoners had to remain in their cells and even family visits were affected.
Crazy, huh?
The kids say their education suffered the most, and even though teachers and tutors were sent to their cells, “This was ‘school’ in name only,” and often times “chaotic.” Unacceptable! They filed a class action suit against Fox, Cook County, and the warden. Since, they claim, Empire earns up to $750,000 per 30-second commercial, they want the popular show to throw some of that their way.
How can you be all that mad at a prison story arc that allowed Terrence Howard to record “Snitch Bitch”?