AceShowbiz -

Grammy-winning singer Lauryn Hill has started serving her 3-month jail sentence for failing to pay $1 million in taxes over the last decade. Ed Ross, a spokesman for the federal Bureau of Prisons, said that Hill checked into federal prison in Danbury.

The Associated Press reported that in the minimum-security prison, Hill would live with other inmates in dormitory-style living quarters. She as well as others will carry out some work, such as maintenance, food service or landscaping. After Hill finishes serving, she will be under parole supervision for a year, the first three months of which will be spent under home confinement.

The singer, who started her career as The Fugees member, showed up at the court in May to receive her sentence. She was sentenced to prison despite the fact that she paid court-ordered retribution sum of $554,000 she owed the IRS. In addition to the money she owed to government, she had to pay additional state taxes and penalties which totaled about $1 million.

During the May court meeting, Hill told the court that she wanted to pay her due, but she could not pay the sum because of her hiatus from music industry, which was caused by cruel treatment. "There were veiled threats, there was blacklisting. I was told, 'That's how it goes, it comes with the territory.' I came to be perceived as a cash cow and not a person. When people capitalize on a persona, they forget there is a person in there," she said.

Hill was given reduced sentence because of her family circumstances with six young children, charitable work and other factors. Her lawyer Nathan Hochman commented at that time that "the judge gave a fair and reasonable sentence."

Last year, Hill pled guilty to three counts of failing to file federal returns for the years 2005, 2006 and 2007. The mother of six earned about $818,000 in 2005, around $222,000 in 2006, and more than $761,000 in 2007.