Seven inmates received a total of 20 years in solitary confinement for making a music video in prison and uploading it onto worldstarhiphop. Last year, after the video was uploaded the South Carolina Department of Corrections(SCDC) started their investigation.

Twitter|Instagram
Buzzfeed.com

Five of the seven received 180 days in “disciplinary detention” , two others received 270 and 360 days for “creating or assisting with a social media site. “Security threat group”(gang related) materials and possessing a contraband cell phone gave the inmates another total of 7,150 day, or 19.75 years in solitary confinement. They also lost years worth of canteen, phone, and visitation privileges, as well as good time accrued

.“When the video went viral the first time, viewers caught a fleeting glimpse of the creative energy that exists behind bars,” Maass told BuzzFeed News. “Now that we know how dearly each inmate paid for their participation, the video takes on all new significance. People in this country are still sacrificing their freedom and well-being for expression.”

This isn’t an uncommon infraction for example, Tyheem Henry received 13,680 days, or more than 37 years, in disciplinary detention in October 2013 — as well as more than 74 years’ worth of telephone, visitation, and canteen privileges — for 38 posts on Facebook. Even though the time often gets lessened due to space constraints so the SCDC changed its policy making the maximum 60 days for an infraction, but according to the SCDC these inmates all received the correct punishment.

“They were gang members and a continued threat to safety.”

The seven inmates are serving time for a variety of serious crimes, such as armed robbery, burglary, and voluntary manslaughter.