They are presumed innocent because they have not yet been convicted. They are unable to bond out (most have bonds) because they can’t afford to do so. They otherwise have all the rights afforded to other citizens — they can still vote from jail, for example. Again, they haven’t been convicted yet.

The author of this article is thinking about violence in prison; Hilton didn’t go to prison. Further, the rate of violence (e.g. murder) in prisons is lower than the rate for the non-incarcerated population. Prisoners tend to face violence from their keepers, the guards, in terms of brutality and sexual abuse. For example, visit http://www.spr.org (Stop Prison Rape).

Lastly, the majority of prisoners are incarcerated for non-violent offenses, primarily theft and drug crimes, courtesy of the War on Drugs. Even in a celebrity gossip column it helps to get the facts right.