Paris Hilton says she is “learning and growing" during her time in prison and will not appeal against her 45-day jail sentence for a probation violation in a reckless driving case.

The hotel heiress is at a maximum-security detention center, where she is believed to have undergone medical and psychiatric evaluations to determine the best jail to keep her in.

“Being in jail is by far the hardest thing I have ever done,” Hilton said in a statement released on Saturday by her lawyer, Richard A. Hutton. “During the past several days, I have had a lot of time to think and I believe that I am learning and growing from this experience.”

Hilton, in tears and screaming for her mother, was taken to the Twin Towers detention centre on Friday after a judge ordered her back to jail, ending her brief stint under house arrest at her Hollywood Hills home. The celebrity's lawyers had sought to keep her out of jail on the grounds that the 26-year-old was suffering an unspecified medical condition. Superior Court Judge Michael T. Sauer suggested that could be taken care of at jail medical facilities.

“Today, I told my attorneys not to appeal the judge’s decision,” Hilton said in her statement. “While I greatly appreciate the sheriff’s concern for my health and welfare, I intend to serve my time at L.A. County Jail.”

The heiress thanked fans for sending her mail and said she loves and misses her family. “I must also say that I was shocked to see all of the attention devoted to the amount of time I would spend in jail for what I had done by the media, public and city officials,” her statement concluded. “I would hope going forward that the public and the media will focus on more important things like the men and women serving our country in Iraq and other places around the world.”

A spokesman for the Los Angeles County sheriff, Steve Whitmore, said he had not seen the statement and could not discuss it but said Hilton would remain at Twin Towers at least through today.

Twin Towers is equipped to treat acute medical and mental health needs, although inmates in need of more serious attention are moved to a hospital. About 40 inmates are housed per floor, and most of the rooms are designed for single occupation.

Hilton is in a room Mr Whitmore described as a little more than 100 square feet (9.3 square meters), with a lavatory, sink and “a sliver of a window.” It is roomier than the cell she had at her first lockup, the Century Regional Detention Center in Lynwood, south of Los Angeles.

Between ten to 20 sheriff’s deputies, doctors, nurses and other medical personnel are on each floor to monitor inmates at Twin Towers, Mr Whitmore said. The staff does not use cameras to monitor rooms. Female inmates are allowed visits on Sundays and Tuesdays.

Hilton has been credited with seven days for her sentence because she had surrendered to authorities after attending the MTV Movie Awards. With time off for good behaviour, she could be released in a little more than two weeks.

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