As the star of "Chrisley Knows Best," Julie Chrisley seemed to have it all:
money, fame, and even more money. So how is she holding up behind bars? From sweltering heat to
poisonous snakes, Chrisley's prison life is definitely an adjustment.
In June 2022, Todd and Julie Chrisley were convicted on multiple federal fraud charges,
including bank fraud and tax evasion. They were sentenced to prison that November.
Julie Chrisley is serving her sentence in Kentucky at Federal Medical Center Lexington,
a facility that houses around 1,300 inmates.
Long gone is the reality star's expensive wardrobe, as she traded her designer clothes
for a prison-issued matching khaki top and bottoms. As far as jewelry goes,
the "Chrisley Knows Best" star is allowed to wear a simple wedding band,
but not much else — as all jewelry with stones is prohibited. While she was once paid to entertain,
the TV personality now has her pick between jobs in food service, maintenance shops,
or possibly even a factory position, according to the inmate handbook.
We sure hope those prison outfits are breathable because Julie Chrisley's prison
cell allegedly isn't designed to withstand the summer heat. On a July 2023 episode of
Savannah Chrisley's "Unlocked" podcast, she was joined by her brother Chase to dish out
all the details of their parents' prison conditions. Chase said on the podcast,
"It's a nightmare. ... They're both in states where it gets 100 plus degrees,
and there's no air conditioning."
The Chrisley siblings went on to defend their mother and said there should be
better living conditions at FMC Lexington. Chase added,
"If you're in a government facility, you should have air conditioning."
While he compared their mother's prison experience to "Fear Factor," Savannah reminded her brother:
"I mean, Chase, it is prison,
so we're not going to sit here and act like it should be the Four Seasons."
In response to their very public complaints, a Bureau of Prisons spokesperson told CNN that the
FMC Lexington is following standard protocol.
Julie Chrisley is allegedly getting a lot more
than just human visitors in prison. On that same episode of the "Unlocked" podcast,
Savannah Chrisley claimed that her mom had spotted snakes in her cell. She said on the podcast,
"She just had snakes literally right there where her bed is."
Savannah also revealed that her mother is allegedly facing other
poor conditions in the jail cell. Savannah noted,
"Air conditioning is the least of it whenever you've got black mold,
Asbestos, lead-based paint."
Of what they dubbed "anecdotal allegations," a
spokesperson for the Bureau of Prisons stated to CNN,
"For privacy, safety, and security reasons we do not comment on the
conditions of confinement for any specific adult in custody (AIC) or group of AICs."
The Chrisleys have a long road in front of them. And with Todd Chrisley serving his time
in Florida's Federal Prison Camp Pensacola, Julie has had to rely on her children to help her get
through her own isolating experience in Kentucky. On a May 2023 episode of her "Unlocked" podcast,
Savannah Chrisley detailed how her mother was coping behind bars,
and admitted that it's been a grueling process for the matriarch. Savannah said,
"It's definitely harder on her, I think, than it is my dad. But she's just staying busy."
Savannah also said she believes her mom may be trying to shield certain details to protect her,
adding that her mom avoids divulging too much on her recorded calls home. Savannah explained,
"You have to be careful how you step. You don't want any repercussions for
saying something in there, and so she just kind of sticks to herself."
Furthermore, Savannah mentioned that her mother's first holidays
in prison were especially tough on her, saying,
"I think [it was] also looking at his birthday and thinking,
'How many more birthdays are gonna ... pass, that we don't get to be together?'"
Julie and Todd Chrisley are apparently left with little-to-no contact with each other
while serving their time behind bars. Due to the slow communication system between
their respective prisons in Kentucky and Florida, Savannah Chrisley has revealed that
her parents aren't able to speak to each other. Savannah told the Daily Mail in September 2023,
"They're emailing a little bit. What's unfortunate is you have
people in these prisons who are holding their mail."
"They've been together almost 30 years. They were together 24/7,
and they've gone now eight months without speaking."
Despite her letters not making it to her husband, Julie has luckily been able to
send dozens of letters home to her children. Savannah admitted on her "Unlocked" podcast,
"I don't think there's a single letter that
goes by that she does not say how much she misses my dad."
Despite their limited contact, Savannah detailed how her parents are instead
keeping themselves busy. She told the Daily Mail in 2023:
"They may be working on books, they may,
who knows ... but they are definitely documenting every little thing that goes on."
Whether it's tell-all memoirs or a return to reality television,
one thing is for sure: this married pair will have quite the story to tell.
"Everyone always wants an update on how mom and dad are doing. And they're doing fine."
"They're doing as good as they can, I guess."
"Exactly."
Julie Chrisley was originally
handed a seven-year sentence for her part in the federal tax evasion and bank fraud charges.
While both she and her husband were shipped off to prison in January 2023, the couple did
get a bit of good news while serving time behind bars. That September, the Chrisleys' attorney,
Jay Surgent, told Entertainment Weekly that both of their sentences were reduced.
Julie's total time dropped to five years, while Todd's was reduced to 10 years from
the original 12. Surgent went on to add that the couple also qualified under the First Step Act
for their model behavior as inmates, which could reduce their sentences even further.