Since January, reality TV alums Todd and Julie Chrisley have been serving out their prison sentences after being found guilty of bank fraud and more in the summer of 2022. As the couple remain incarcerated, their children face new realities of their own. Savannah Chrisley, the pair’s oldest daughter, has been particularly vocal about her folks and their current situation. More recently, she made bold claims about the condition of the prison that’s currently housing her mother. The prison bureau has since taken notice of her sentiments and issued a response.
50-year-old Julie Chrisley is currently at the Federal Medical Center Lexington in Kentucky after originally being set to report to FCI Marianna in Florida, which would’ve put her in closer proximity to her husband. Savannah Chrisley has spoken about their prison stints during episodes of her Unlocked podcast and, during an installment, she asserted that her mom is experiencing poor conditions during her stay in the facility. Savannah even claims that the service dogs are being treated better than her mother:
My mom's in a facility that has no air, but yet there are service dogs for the prison that are in a heated and cooled building because it's inhumane for them not to have air. I read an executive order that Biden signed that said all federal inmates must be housed in environmentally-friendly facilities and I'm like, ‘OK, well, this is completely opposite of that.’
The media personality made these assertions while explaining how her parents’ jail sentences have alerted her to the imperfections within the prison system. As the 25-year-old mentioned, she’s been doing “research,” seemingly regarding the rights of inmates. However, these claims have been shot down by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The organization sent out an email (that was obtained by DailyMail.com) and, though it didn’t get specific about its facilities, it did address Savannah Chrisley’s temperature claims:
For privacy, safety, and security reasons, we do not release information on the conditions of confinement for any inmate or group of inmates. However, we can share, the Bureau of Prisons' institutions are accredited by the American Correctional Association. ACA Standards cover environmental conditions, including temperature and air quality... [and] discusses temperatures in indoor living and work areas appropriate for summer and winter.
Believe it or not, Julie Chrisley isn’t the only celebrity that’s currently staying at FMC Lexington. Jerry Harris, former star of Netflix’s Cheer, is also there, though he and Chrisley won’t rub elbows due to the fact that male and female inmates are situated in different sectors of the facility. Savannah Chrisley has shared additional details on Julie’s time behind bars over the past few weeks. As she’s explained, her mom – who is facing 7 years – is “doing really well” and has “made friends” while “keeping busy.” And in her spare time, she’s apparently attending church services and playing Spades (a Chrisley family favorite game) with her fellow inmates.
It’s also been said that Todd Chrisley (who’s serving 12 years) is getting well adjusted to his new environment, but that doesn’t mean that he and his wife are aiming to serve out their full sentences. The Chrisleys are appealing their sentences, and their lawyer, Alex Little, is “optimistic” about their chances. In January, Little asserted his belief that his clients would get a retrial because the Georgia Department of Revenue allegedly participated in “unconstitutional” practices amid the couple’s trial. He also believes that testimony from one of the IRS officers had a negative impact on the jury.
As of right now, there’s no telling whether the Chrisley Knows Best stars will be successful in appealing their case. What seems apparent, though, is that Savannah Chrisley is going to keep being open about her parents’ time in the pen and serve as an advocate for them during this time.
