Orange Is the New Black Season 7 might have just aired, but it was the life-altering moment in Season 6 that continued to linger on fans’ minds. During the Season 6 finale of the Netflix original series, Tasha “Taystee” Jefferson had been convicted of second-degree murder in the killing of CO Desi Piscatella during the Season 5 prison riots. A wrongful conviction, as Piscatella’s death was actually at the hands of rookie officer Natoli, many are wondering if Taystee got the justice that she deserves or if she is still looking at life behind bars.
Warning: This post contains major spoilers for Season 7 of Orange Is the New Black!
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When fans are re-introduced to Taystee at the start of Season 7, the final season of the beloved Netflix original series, she is a far cry from the character that fans had come to know and love. Understandably, she is struggling to come to terms with her life sentence, and has seemingly lost any hope of having her conviction overturned. New warden Tamika Ward has other thoughts, however.
After getting her hands on Suzanne’s notebook that reveals the true nature of Piscatella’s death, Ward encourages Taystee to connect with her lawyer. It gives Taystee a brief moment of hope, which is ultimately squashed in the 12th episode after her lawyer informs her that the information in the notebook fails to meet the evidentiary burden. Making overturning her conviction even less likely is the fact that Cindy, who is homeless, cannot be tracked down.
The news sends Taystee back into a downward spiral, something that is only made worse by Tiffany “Pennsatucky” Doggett’s death, and it seems as though she is prepared to take her own life before she realizes that she can still make a difference in this world when she received the GED certificates of the inmate she had tutored.
While Taystee’s story ends with her still looking at a life sentence, she ultimately makes the decision to make the best of her circumstances and help her fellow inmates. In the 90-minute series finale, she gets in touch with former inmate and celebrity chef Judy King, recruiting her to help establish the Poussey Washington Fund, a micro-loan program for newly released inmates to help get them on their feet and steer them in the right direction after their release.
The fund, named after beloved character Poussey Washington, whose death in Season 4 sparked the riots, has roots in the real world. The initiative focuses on eight nonprofit organizations that focus on issues surrounding prison and criminal justice reform. More information on the fund can be found by clicking here.
All seasons of Orange Is the New Black are available for streaming on Netflix. There has been no further word on the potential spinoff series, which was first teased back in November.
