Here's a fun fact (courtesy of my wife who served as a Special Asst US Attorney...)

[brooklynite]

When you're convicted in New York, they send you "up the river" (usually to Sing Sing).

When you're convicted in Virginia, they send you "DOWN the river" (usually to Quantico).

[3catwoman3]

1. Either direction will be fine.

The phrase "Up Shit Creek without a paddle" comes to mind.

[Marie Marie]

3. Yeah, I'm pretty flexible on this.

North or south is good for me.

[underpants]

2. Nice

[demsocialist]

4. I am unclear on this...

Aren't these Federal charges?? Is Sing Sing a federal or state prison?

[RockRaven]

5. just a joke I think

because Sing Sing is a New York state correctional facility and Quantico is a Marine Corps brig, thereby federal, specifically military.

[demsocialist]

6. haha

I can be thick at times.

[brooklynite]

7. Actually, there's also a DC prison down at Quantico...

[Solomon]

11. It's called Lorton

[Sanity Claws]

8. In case anyone doesn't know,

the river in New York is the Hudson. The expression assumes that you are in NYC and that you are being sent upstate to the state pen in Ossining located along the Hudson.

[pecosbob]

9. I think the original sayings go

'Sent up the river' and 'Sold down the river'. I'm pretty sure that the latter was about slavery and not prison. Not to rain on an otherwise laudable post.

[Patterson]

10. In Mark Twain's "Pudd'inhead Wilson," being "sold down the river"

means things are going to get worse for the slave, since they are going farther south.