Natalie “Fig” Figueroa (portrayed by Alysia Reiner), or “fangs” as Joe Caputo calls her, is one of the prison administrators who is in charge of maintaining Litchfield’s image to the press in seasons one and two. She is also in charge of the prison’s budget, of which we learn she has been taking a large cut for herself (her Mercedes-Benz gave it away). She later begins extorting money for her husband’s state senate campaign.
Displeased by Larry Bloom’s representation of Litchfield prison, Fig makes an agreement with Piper Chapman to get a marriage request form if she asks her soon-to-be-husband to correct his information in subsequent articles and interviews.
As a woman in power, her subordinates do not respect her or take her seriously. When discussing Tricia Miller’s death, and how the C.O.s failed their women, Caupto makes sexually inappropriate comments to another correctional officer about her. Meanwhile, Sam Healy tells her that her plan is “stupid” and a “waste of time.” Figueroa has to threaten his job in order for him to sit down and pretend to pay attention or care about what she is explaining. She later reprimands Healy for contacting an inmate’s family (Larry Bloom) and demands that Sam call off his “lesbian witch hunt.”
At the start of season two, we learn that her husband, Jason Figueroa, is running for the State Senate. At every turn, she prevents new programs at Litchfield, and even though she claims to be fixing up the prison, money is spent and progress is never made. She evades suspicion by the auditor by inviting him to one of her husband’s campaign fundraisers.
When we see her involvement with her husband directly, she is bitter about her husband not sleeping with her, especially since she wants to get pregnant, which later we find out is because her husband is gay and having an affair with his campaign manager.
Aside from funneling money out of the prison and into her husband’s campaign, she makes Caputo’s life more difficult than usual because she is neglecting her prison duties, leaving all of the work to Joe. However, the tables are turned on her once Caputo discovers this (with Chapman’s help) and threatens to go to the Warden with his new discovery. She then proves just how scummy she is with her sexual favor to Joe, believing that this would save her career. However, he has already reported her by the time all this happens.
When Litchfield is in danger of closing at the start of season three, Caputo turns to her, despite his deep hatred for her, for help. After revealing that she knew the prison was in danger of closing, she claims that she is now in a position to make changes “for the greater good,” since her husband won his campaign. When he blackmails her into compliance, however, she agrees to work with him.
She provides him with a business plan to help Litchfield qualify to be taken on by the MCC to save the prison from closing, and in a sick twist of fate, the two being an affair. Though she claims to like having Joe find her irresistible despite his hatred for her, it seems as though she also enjoys his company.
Seeing as Fig is in a position of political power, Caputo will likely keep contacts with her for the future.
Literary Litchfield 