Flashing camera bulbs, candid snapshots in magazines, and constant rounds of autograph signings are all in a day's work for a celebrity. Surrounded by fans and paparazzi, fame is usually associated with luxury, wealth and popularity.

But what happens when they hit the skids and end up in the slammer?

Football star O.J. Simpson, actor Robert Blake, boxer Mike Tyson, and Michelle Rodriquez, star of the hit television show Lost, are just a few of the big names who have entered the big slammer on charges ranging from suspected murder to drunken driving.

As tabloids go crazy over a star's legal slip-ups, COs have to bear the burden of housing a high profile or celebrity inmate.

“There is a magnetism. People want to see celebrities, especially behind bars. They are no different from anyone else, but people are obsessed with them,” says Lieutenant Casey Bald of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

Officials at the LASD have plenty of experience dealing with this. O.J. Simpson was housed at the L.A. Men's Central Jail during his trial, and COs had to ensure the safety of everyone involved.

“When O.J. Simpson first came here, we had to lockdown the whole facility any time he was moved,” he recalls. “We wanted to avoid the potential problem of inmates wanting his autograph or assaulting him to make a name for themselves. Many of our staff members wanted his autograph too, so that created additional problems.”

As inmates and staff tried to make contact with the football star, officials had to proactively avoid conflict and maintain security. Simpson was initially housed in a maximum-security wing of the Central Jail, with all the cells on his row emptied. Soon enough, however, officials realized they were running out of room for other prisoners and moved Simpson to a single room in the medical wing of the jail.

“Even after we moved him to the medical wing, everyone still wanted to look at him. So we painted a red line around his room. We said nobody was allowed to cross the line unless they had permission,” says Bald. “It sounds nuts, but I cannot tell you what a wonderful psychological advantage that has. Physically, nothing is stopping them from entering, but psychologically, they have to stop and think.”

Bald adds that officials created a visitation list for everyone who came to see Simpson.

“Documentation of movements is very important. Nobody wants their name on a report saying that they went somewhere they weren't supposed to be. Nobody wants a paper trail and that keeps many people out,” he says.

According to Bald, most celebrities won't pose a threat to other inmates, but are placed in protective custody to avoid being assaulted by others. High profile offenders, like serial killers and those known to be extremely violent, do present other challenges. 

“When we're talking about high profile offenders, we're talking about more than just celebrity status.  We're including status in the community and notoriety of their crime. All of those receive high profile status,” says Warden Robert Green of Maryland's Montgomery County Department of Corrections, which housed Mike Tyson among others.

Classification is typically based on celebrity status, protective custody, those who are assaultive towards other inmates, and those who have been violent towards staff. In Colorado, high profile offenders are typically placed in the same way.

“Classification drives placement for us,” says Daryl Vigil, classification supervisor for the Office of Offender Services at the Colorado Department of Corrections. “You sometimes have to deal with inmates who provide testimony against other criminals and become at risk themselves.”

In these cases, Colorado officials take extra measures to ensure they are using the best practices possible.

“We keep a close eye on what happens in other states,” says Vigil. “Our legal division is always looking at what's happening across the country.  If it looks like the courts are challenging practice and policy in a corrections organization, we want to try and be pro-active. We don't want to make the same mistakes. Inmates and advocacy groups will always challenge correctional systems, so it's very important for organizations to constantly re-evaluate policy and procedure.”

Once an inmate is classified and placed, no matter how high profile, they are monitored closely. Each meal, movement and meeting is mapped out in excruciating detail to ensure the safety of the offender, the public and other inmates.

In Los Angeles, officials take additional measures when dealing with high profile offenders such as Richard Ramirez, also known as the Night Stalker. 

“When you're dealing with an assaultive inmate like a serial killer, you have to be sure you dictate the resources you will need,” says Bald. “Extremely violent inmates get four deputies every time they come out of a cell. Those deputies are outfitted with protective gear and armed, and all of this is video taped for security purposes. You don't want to overextend your resources, but you have to ensure safety and avoid political fallout. Video taping is an important element of that.”

From a policy and procedural standpoint, many officials know that it's almost impossible to plan for every celebrity or high profile offender that may enter a facility. There are also discrepancies in how offenders are cared for during pre-trial and pre-sentencing periods of incarceration.

“The big discrepancy here is the difference between urban and suburban areas,” says Green. “You have facilities in small towns that never think they will deal with a high profile case. But what are you going to do if it happens? What are you going to do when a CNN news van pulls up outside of your facility and camps out for weeks? You have to be prepared.”

According to Green, the best way to handle these offenders is to create a loose plan that can be customized for each offender.

“High profile cases or individuals are just like any other inmate, each one is distinct and different. The plan used for each of these individuals will change based on their security level and the nature of their crime,” Green explains. “But you have to plan for everything: What type of housing do they need? What are the transportation needs? In my facility, these things are addressed on a case-by-case basis while we ensure that we've met constitutional and safety requirements and while still providing appropriate services for the individual in custody.”

For example, if an offender knows how to slide out of handcuffs or has paramilitary training, a new dimension is added to issues such as transportation. Often, these inmates require extra security measures and armed officers.

Additionally, high profile offenders still have a constitutional right to services such as substance abuse programs, counseling and attorney meetings, which makes the security, rehabilitation, and transportation needs of a high profile offender no small task.

“You need all of the parties involved at your table from transportation and housing to local and state law enforcement,” Green adds. “To ensure the safety of everyone involved, it's an orchestrated plan that is created to meet the specific circumstance for each individual from sun up to sun down.”