Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old suspect accused of shooting the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, Brian Thompson, appeared in New York State’s trial court on Monday, where he entered his plea of not guilty. Mangione is facing federal charges, which has caused quite a stir on social media. However, Mangione’s court appearance, in the literal sense, is also causing a bit of buzz amongst people online.

Many have pointed out that Mangione looks quite put-together and polished for someone who has spent the last several weeks in police custody. To answer the question of what that means, a content creator named Kristenwhose parents spent some time in jail, revealed that Mangione’s appearance might actually be a clue as to how he’s being treated by other inmates.

A woman with inside knowledge about prison life revealed what Luigi Mangione’s haircut says about his status behind bars.

“Luigi’s taper fade is a signal to the correctional officers not to beat him up,” Kristen revealed in her TikTok video. “It’s a signal to the correctional officers that the other inmates care about him and have his back.”

Kristen explained that her parents spent a lot of time in prison, and she spent quite a bit of time throughout her life around people in that environment while also understanding the politics that surround the way inmates treat each other and the silent language passed between them.

: 10 Details About Luigi Mangione’s Life That People Are Romanticizing On Social Media

The woman insisted that Mangione’s taper fade and his eyebrows being threaded were not about making him look good to the media when he was finally seen in public.

Mangione’s groomed appearance was solely a message to correctional officers that he is not isolated and that he has other people supporting him.

Kristen admitted that the “politics of prison” are interesting, especially surrounding the caliber of offense that the people around Mangione are locked up for.

“If you have a lot of people who are locked up for a very long amount of time/the rest of their natural life, those people don’t have a lot of incentive to behave, so the correctional officers understand that at any moment they could have a riot on their hands,” Kristen continued.

Chris Mansfield | Canva Pro

“That taper fade was to send a message that Luigi is surrounded, protected, (and) looked after.”

Kristen claimed that if any of the correctional officers decided they wanted to rough him up a little or cause him any discomfort, they would end up having an issue on their hands with the other inmates.

: Mom Reveals 4 Things Health Insurance Companies Have Said About Her Terminally Ill 4-Year-Old That Make It Hard For Her To Have Compassion For The UHC CEO’s Family

A lot of this solidarity with Luigi Mangione comes from how fed up Americans are with this unjust system.

The reaction to Mangione’s crime has varied, but most people feel quite strongly about the fact that Mangione’s actions are a direct reflection of the systems in place, especially when those systems work against the people that they were built to protect and serve.

Mangione facing federal charges means he could face the death penalty, which has only heightened the strong reactions.

It’s especially jarring when you think about how Mangione’s actions are considered to be a form of terrorism when there are people like Kyle Rittenhouse and Nikolas Cruz who somehow managed to evade the highest form of punishment that this country allows when their actions are categorically worse than what Mangione did.

Yet, this country has continued to uphold privilege except when it directly violates the interests of those in power.

It’s both delightful and fascinating to see people on divided sides coming together with a sense of understanding and solidarity for what Mangione’s actions represent. They represent a reckoning for a system that has continued to prioritize money and status over helping sick people get better.

The American people are tired of putting their hard-earned money behind the healthcare system and, in return, being met with a denial of care.

We’re seeing the hypocrisy of America happen in real time, right in front of our eyes. They would rather put the torch to someone like Mangione, who acted out of desperation and frustration, than actually address the issues that would ever drive a person to commit such a heinous and evil crime.

: Criminal Defense Lawyer Explains Why She Doesn’t Believe Luigi Mangione Wrote His ‘Manifesto’

Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.