Inmates have been reviewing state prisons for years, offering information about their experiences behind bars. One woman, Ticha B., recently reviewed California's San Quentin State Prison, in which she gave it one star, according to The Sideshow, a Yahoo! News blog. Stephen Whitmore, spokesman for Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca, told The Washington Post that if certain jails throughout the state are given bad reviews for abusive experiences or poor treatment, each of the situations are investigated.

However, he added that the people who are posting the reviews are "doing time for committing a crime," not critiquing food at a restaurant or a movie viewing. However, the phenomenon continues, and some legal professionals are doing what they can to alleviate any stress inmates may have. California-based lawyer Robert Miller is one of those people.

Throughout his career, Miller has visited five prisons and 17 jails, however, he only recently started reviewing the facilities. His most recent review in January, a critique of the Theo Lacy jail in Orange County, California, stated that the facility was clean and had a nice staff.

"I started reviewing because I needed something to kill time while I waited to see clients," he said. "But I think the reviews are actually helpful for bail bondsmen, attorneys, family members - a lot of people, actually."

However, he said the prisoner's reviews are what is important, as they help elevate a state of consciousness regarding the issues that many facilities face each day as well as bring transparency to the jail system. David Fathi, director of the National Prison Project of the American Civil Liberties Union, told the source the reviews are a valuable asset to the system and will continue to be until changes are made within the facilities.

"Prisons and jails are closed institutions, and the lack of outside scrutiny and oversight sometimes facilitates mistreatment and abuse," Fathi said. "So anything that increases public awareness of prison conditions is a positive thing."