"Party Girl" Paris Hilton Begins her Jail Sentence

Paris Hilton, the heiress to the Hilton hotel fortune and the daughter of real estate magnate Rick Hilton, checked herself into Los Angeles jail late Sunday night, one and a half day before her deadline, in a surprise move that apparently has been made to dodge the media.

The 26-year-old high profile celebrity blonde, who was due to report to the Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood, California on June 5, has begun her three-week stay at the jail for violating her probation in an alcohol-related reckless driving case, Richard Hutton, a lawyer for Hilton, said in a statement.

"Paris Hilton has turned herself in to begin serving her sentence for violating probation at a Los Angeles County Jail located in Lynwood, California," he said.

Earlier yesterday, Hilton made a surprise visit to the MTV Movie Awards near Hollywood, where the comedians played jokes on her, and after that she went to her parents' house. After staying there for a brief time, Hilton left with her lawyer Hutton to surrender to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

"I am ready to face the consequences of violating probation. During the past few weeks, I have had a lot of time to think and have come to realize I made some mistakes," TMZ quoted the heiress to the hotel fortune as saying.

"This is an important point in my life and I need to take responsibility for my actions. In the future, I plan on taking more of an active role in the decisions I make. I want to thank my family, friends and fans for their continued support. Although I am scared, I am ready to begin my jail sentence," she added.

Superior Court Judge Michael Sauer sentenced Paris Hilton to 45 days in jail for violating her probation in a reckless driving case. Hilton initially described her punishment as ‘cruel’ and ‘unwarranted’ and made immense efforts to win freedom for her.

After failing to win the favor of the Superior Court judge Michael Sauer and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to pardon her, she eventually was favored by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, which decided to cut Hilton’s sentence after reviewing the case and giving her credit for good behavior.

Hilton, who was originally sentenced to 45 days in county jail, is expected to only spend about half that long behind bars because of a state law that requires shorter sentences for good behaviour. She will serve her jail time separate from the general inmate population because of her fame.

In the 2,200-inmate facility, the “Party Girl” will live in the “special needs housing unit," which contains 12 two-person cells reserved for police officers, public officials, celebrities and other high-profile inmates.

Like all other inmates in the facility, the high-profile socialite will get at least an hour outside her cell each day to shower, watch television, participate in outdoor recreation or talk on the telephone and watch TV in a small pod adjacent to her cell.

Hilton's troubles began in September when the socialite was arrested for drunken driving. She was charged with driving under the influence of intoxicant and driving with a blood alcohol level over California's legal limit of .08.

Labeled as the “Party Girl”, Hilton had pleaded not guilty of drunk driving in January, and was sentenced to 36 months’ probation, alcohol education and $1,500 in fines.

The life of the damsel has been in media spotlight ever since she entered the entertainment industry and has been subjected to criticism for her hard-partying lifestyle by almost everyone.

She is best known for starring in a fish-out-of-water reality show called, "The Simple Life" with a fellow heiress Nicole Richie, daughter of singer Lionel Richie. In November 2003, Hilton came in the headlines when a home video of her cavorting with her then-boyfriend Rick Solomon was published online.

Britney Spears and Paris Hilton topped the Former designer Mr. Blackwell's 47th annual "Worst Dressed" list and were described as "Style-free and fashion deprived” by the Blackwell.