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They say that idle fingers makes the devil's work, but fallen heiress Paris Hilton has been making good use of her 'free' time in prison - by responding to fan mail.
Paris is said to be receiving sackloads of fan mail while incarcerated in a Los Angeles prison for violating probation on a driving ban.
Her manager, Jason Moore, confirmed to celebrity news website E! News that the Lynwood facility had contacted him regarding the delivery of 20 crates of fan mail for jailbird Paris.
And conscientious Paris, who claims that doing time has changed her life forever, has been busy drafting handwritten notes to her legions of fans.
One note to a dedicated fan read:
"I read your letter and just wanted to thank you for your kind words of love and support. The fact that you took time out of your day to write me truly means the world. Especially at such a difficult and scary time in my life," Hilton wrote.
"But I am being strong and trying to make the best out of the situation. And the letters I'm receiving really do put a smile on my face as I sit here in my cell, sad and alone. Again, thank you so much and may God bless you and your family."
She signed the missive, "Love always, Paris Hilton," adding a personal touch by dotting her i's with hearts and throwing in a row of kisses for good measure.
And in an exclusive telephone conversation with E! News' Ryan Seacrest yesterday, the hotel heiress said she was "really proud" of herself for serving out her sentence and even admitted there was a positive aspect to life behind bars.
"In a way, I'm really glad this happened because it changed my life forever.
Paris also stated that she no longer wished to be easy fodder for the tabloids.
"I just realise that the media used me to make fun of and be mean about," she said. "Frankly, I'm sick of it. I want to use my fame in a good way."
She said that her prison term has given her time to appreciate the simpler things in life.
"I'm so much more grateful for everything that I have, even just to have a pillow at night or food or anything," Hilton said.
But anyone expecting Paris' new-found piety will dampen the flames of publicity surrounding her should think again. It's possible that her time behind bars has made the Simple Life star even more popular.
Hilton is expected to be set free on Monday, which will mark the 23rd day of her 45-day sentence.
Though Hilton is no doubt eagerly anticipating her release, her neighbours are no doubt a little less enthusiastic.
A group of residents in the Hilton's neighbourhood have taken action and started a petition encouraging residents to contact the police if Paris' homecoming party gets out of hand.
- NZHERALD STAFF
