Maritza Ramos

Orange Is the New Black is a comedy-drama series, created by Jenji Kohan and airing on Netflix. Set in the fictional Litchfield Correctional Facility, a women's Federal prison, it has featured a diverse ensemble of recurring or minor characters - including inmates, prison guards and staff, and non-prison characters. Many of these characters are expanded upon through a series of flashbacks told over the course of an episode, or over the course of the series. Many are subsequently upgraded to main characters as their roles are expanded and they feature more prominently in storylines.

Sophia Burset (played by Laverne Cox and M Lamar in flashbacks) – A trans woman, formerly a firefighter named Marcus, Sophia is in prison for credit card fraud, which she used to finance her gender confirmation surgery. Her wife at the time, Crystal, had been supportive of her transition and even helped her during her adjustment period, but her young son, Michael, had difficulty with her transition and ultimately turned her in to authorities. In the prison, she works as a hairdresser and spends the first half of the first season railing against a reduction in her hormone dosage, which is stated to be over concerns about liver damage, but she is convinced it is discrimination (in fact, it is hinted at being due to Figueroa's embezzlement). She becomes a friend of Sister Jane, originally in an attempt to convince the nun to give her some of her hormones. Jane convinces her to try to reconcile with her son, and also to let Crystal move on. Sophia is kind and understanding, albeit a little stubborn. Early on, she trades with Piper for a lock of hair, in return for some cocoa butter Piper needs to create her lotion for Red. They later develop an amicable relationship, often trading gifts or advice. She, like Piper, also seems to be more educated than many of her fellow inmates, being concerned about issues such as healthcare and benefits. During the second season, she is shown being visited by her son in prison for the first time, and they are seen making amends. Sophia also develops friendships with Red, who goes to her for a makeover when she learns Vee has returned, and surprisingly, Tiffany, who has mellowed out considerably. During the third season, Sophia agrees to allow Gloria's son ride with her son for weekly visits. The two start a friendship that results in her son acting out, causing Sophia to rescind her offer and cause a rift between Gloria and her that culminated into a violent confrontation. She later finds out that her son was the instigator of a violent attack of another child, but refuses to apologize to Gloria. Sophia ends up being attacked by other inmates in her beauty salon, during which the CO on duty runs away to fetch Caputo rather than intervening herself. Sophia tells Caputo that she is willing to bring a lawsuit against the prison if they don't take appropriate measures. When this is reported to MCC, they respond by throwing Sophia in the SHU claiming it is for her protection, when in reality she is being punished for her threat to sue. In the fourth season, Sophia spends most of the season in the SHU, and makes numerous efforts to get Caputo's attention, such as flooding her cell, setting fires, and bashing her head against the walls of her cell, while Crystal, with Gloria's secret assistance, repeatedly confronted him at the prison and his house. Eventually, she is released from the SHU when Caputo uses Jane's smuggled phone to take a picture of her and leaks the picture to Danny Pearson. Upon her release, she initially rebuffs Gloria's attempts to make amends, but eventually warms to her when she helps her fix her wig, which had been damaged in the previous season. In season 5, she uses her basic medical training from her firefighting days to stitch CO Humphrey's gunshot wound, and spends most of the season helping the prison's only remaining medical personnel - one of the nurses - to care for the sick and injured inmates. Eventually, Sophia sneaks out of the prison with the intent to get sent to max to find Ingalls, but discovers that she has been released on compassionate grounds.

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