Inventing Anna: Sorokin reveals what her life is like behind bars

Netflix's Inventing Anna is leaving many wondering about the aftermath of the real Anna Sorokin. Now in a New York Times interview, Sorokin reveals what life is like behind bars.

"My cell is pretty depressing. I have a whole bin of just legal paperwork. I have lots of books — mainly books. And some trail mix to snack on. It is as austere as it can get," Sorokin told the New York Times.

Sorokin was arrested by ICE in March 2021 for overstaying her visa, just six weeks after she was let out of prison. The 31-year-old was shocked to find ICE at her door because she claims they had approached her earlier to inform her they were "not interested" in her.

Sorokin is currently being held in the Orange County Correctional Facility.

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Anna Sorokin after her sentencing in 2019 Getty Images

Sorokin revealed that she is trying to fight her deportation but experiencing life inside an ICE detention center has put many things into perspective. While Sorokin has an immigration lawyer, many others do not.

"I have not heard of a single success story of someone being arrested and finding a good free immigration lawyer while in jail. The system is predatory: You’re set up for failure," Sorokin says to the Times

In 2019, Sorokin was found guilty on eight charges including grand larceny in the second degree, attempted grand larceny, and theft of services. For that, she was sentenced to four to 12 years in prison but only served approximately four of the years. Sorokin was let out in February 2021 for good behavior.

In an essay written for Insider, Sorokin said she felt her detainment was unfair, “I am here because Immigration and Customs Enforcement decided that my early merit release from prison means nothing to them and, despite being perfectly self-sufficient when left to my own (legal) devices, I, in fact, present ‘a continuous danger to the community.'”

Sorokin's sarcastic criticism of ICE's system is something she wants to shed light on, as she told the Times. She hopes to release a book and podcast about her time in prison.

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