Screenwriter Roger Avary moved from work furlough program to jail after tweeting episode

"Pulp Fiction" co-screenwriter Roger Avary is behind bars at the Ventura County Jail today -- several days after what is believed to be the writer/director's tweeting revealed that he was serving his sentence for a fatal car crash in a furlough program rather than in jail.

In September, Avary was sentenced to a year in jail for causing a car crash in Ojai that killed a passenger and injured Avary's wife.

Earlier this week, Times technology blogger Mark Milian discovered some tweets coming from @avary and speculated over whether Avary was tweeting from jail.

But Avary wasn't in jail. Rather, he was serving his time in a Ventura County work furlough program, which allows him to go to his job during the day. He reports back to the furlough facility -- a modified former Air Force barracks at Camarillo Airport -- at night and on weekends.

It's unclear when officials decided to allow Avary to enter the furlough program, or how that decision was reached. It is also unknown where the screenwriter spent his days, but inmates in the program are not allowed to work at home.

Today, however, officials said Avary is in full-time custody. He reported to the Ventura County Jail for incarceration on Thanksgiving Day for "security issues," said Sheriff spokesman Ross Bonfiglio.

Patrick Neil, a division manager for Ventura County's probation department, would not comment on why Avary was removed from the furlough program.

"Any causes behind a rollup is not something we can discuss," Neil said, using the term for when an inmate is transferred from one facility to another.

Thursday evening, @avary -- who has been referring to himself as #34 - tweeted "#34 is 'rolled up' to a higher security facility for exercising his first amendment rights. The truth he has discovered is too dangerous."

Bonfiglio said that Avary had not previously spent a night in the jail because he posted bail the day he was arrested. When he reported to jail Oct. 26, records show he was remanded at 7:54 a.m. and released 11 minutes later.

Bonfiglio said it was likely a "procedural process" and that Avary was then referred to the work furlough program, where he spent his days on the outside.

But you wouldn't get that impression from what are believed to be Avary's tweets, which chronicle life inside amid heroin smuggling, lockdowns and strip searches.

"#34's new roomie, EZ, takes Yeyo's old bunk, locker, AND number. He regales awesome tales about his former life as an Oxnard gangbanger," @avary tweeted Tuesday at 9:17 a.m.

Two weeks earlier @avary tweeted: "'It's your birthday! announcing that #34 is to receive a random strip-down and cavity search to be performed by a leering, rotund officer."

--Raja Abdulrahim

 

Comments

[ZenMonkey]

Does the First Amendment apply to people serving time in jail for DUI manslaughter?

[Model of Abuse]

Work inside for perverted ignorant officers is great for those of them who like to rape someone else on a daily basis. It's cathartic for homosexual officers to be able to explore the cavities of a stranger whose under lock and key. They can pretend it's work.

It the system isn't model then citizens will no longer be model.

[stewart]

seems as though #34 has become familiar with the notion that all men are created equal under the eyes of the law?
and that the suspension of the 1st amendment are part and parcel of being a convict?
why, who does #34 think he is? Roman Polanski?

[M. Grafenberg]

He got loaded, caused an accident that killed someone and seriously injured his own wife, only got a year in jail, which was then reduced to work furlough, and because he couldn't keep his mouth shut he returns to jail and is now spouting some bullshit about first amendment rights?

Please.

Hey, #34? You're in jail because YOU KILLED SOMEONE.

[clubsandwich]

It's not clear why but the work furlough was never written about in the news when Mr. Avary was sentenced. If any journalist had taken the time to go through the docket on Ventura county supreme court's website they would've found out.

The security "breach" is not really a breach at all but revealing things like what kind of food supply inmates get (the horse feed) is probably not a good idea. It is called a work "furlough" after all.

[brian]

have to agree w/ grafenberg. love avary's films but he's being stupid here about rights while you are in jail. you give up some rights, like to have a gun, or to vote, or to not be searched. assuming any of those tweets are anything but a hoax.

[Barbie]

Sad but true of his tales and Camp Snoopy are factual...and to Tweet well I would say he was just asking for trouble.

[D3]

A year in jail for a drunk who killed somebody. Sounds like he's back right where he belongs.

[Saddened]

Though shocking, that sentence and arrangement is not unusual.

I know a 45 year old, female registered nurse of Los Angeles, who got work furlough for the same offense. After having postponed serving for more than 8 months, she now serves her weekends in the Rendondo, Hermosa, or Manhattan Beach Jail ( I don't recall which). She glowingly describes the accommodations as " pretty nice , but a MAJOR inconvenience".

It wasn't her first, or second court actionable injury accident while under the influence of prescription painkillers.

Her response, when I asked what she thinks of when she remembers the young woman in the other car, whom she killed ...?
"Better her than me. I could have been killed too."

Chilling.

She has just celebrated two years of abstinence from all mind altering/ mood altering substances.

Talk about a hollow victory...