Some Irked Over Penn Doing Time in Bridgeport

“Bad Boys” actor Sean Penn is being treated no differently than nine other Mono County Jail inmates, the sheriff said Monday, but some local residents are annoyed that he is doing time in the mountain resort instead of in Los Angeles.

“It’s kind of dumb. I think he could have stayed down there,” said Shannon Nolan, 19, a resident of the eastern Sierra Nevada community of 500 residents.

Her younger sister, Shawna, agreed.

“I think he’s a jerk. I don’t like him at all. I don’t think he should get any special treatment,” said the 17-year-old. “I don’t think he should be here, because he’s kind of causing a lot of problems in this town.”

A dormitory room with four other inmates is the temporary home for Penn, whose visitors and telephone calls will be restricted. Penn is permitted to see visitors on Sundays and Wednesdays. No one came to visit the actor Sunday.

Penn, 26, is one of nine prisoners in the 24-inmate-capacity jail 300 miles north of Los Angeles near the Nevada border. The facility has an exercise yard and a television area and books are available to the inmates.

Celebrity Inmate

“We’re not going to make a spectacle of him,” said Mono County Sheriff Marty Strelneck, who refused to give many details about his celebrity inmate. “He’ll be treated the same as any other prisoners here.”

Penn was given the opportunity to wash county cars or work in the jail kitchen, but he has not shown an interest in either activity, the sheriff said. Jailer Al Fry said it appeared that Penn had been reading a script.

A television news crew filmed outside the jail Monday and several photographers took snapshots of the facility, a single-story cinder-block structure across from the courthouse in the center of town.

One businessman believes that Penn, who surrendered Friday night to begin serving his 60-day sentence for a probation violation, will benefit from his experience in Bridgeport.

“This is like a vacation resort. If you’re going to be in jail, you might as well do it here,” said Rick Rockel, owner of Ken’s Sporting Goods. “I’m sure that after a nice stay here his temper will probably subside a little bit and he’ll leave here with a nice mellow attitude.”

Penn was jailed for punching a movie extra who tried to take his picture during shooting of his film, “Colors,” for reckless driving while on probation and for hitting another man he thought tried to kiss his wife, singer Madonna.

If Penn is a model prisoner, he will get time off for good behavior and could serve only 32 days of the 60-day sentence, Los Angeles Municipal Court Commissioner Juelann Cathey said.

Penn, star of “Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” “The Falcon and the Snowman” and “Bad Boys,” is paying about $50 a day to stay in Bridgeport rather than in the more crowded Los Angeles County Jail.