Which Kind of Prison Would You Most Like to Go To?

What kind of question is that from a criminal defense blog?  You don’t want to go to prison at all.  That’s why you are considering hiring a criminal defense attorney.  Can’t criminal defense attorneys get you out of going to prison entirely?  Even if the evidence against you is so strong that there is little chance that a jury would find you innocent, isn’t it your lawyer’s job to get you a plea deal where you just get probation or, at worst, house arrest, instead of doing time behind bars?  If only life were that simple.  Some offenses still carry mandatory minimum sentences, despite that a growing number of voters and lawmakers have begun to regard mandatory minimum sentences as unjust, since they take away judges’ freedom to consider and treat each case on an individual basis.  Sometimes a criminal defense lawyer can help you avoid a prison term altogether, but even if prison is inevitable, a lawyer is still essential for getting the shortest possible sentence.

What’s So Great About Minimum Security Prisons?

Not everyone who gets a prison sentence has to spend 20 hours a day in a cell, emerging only for meals and a brief period of exposure to daylight.  The Federal Bureau of Prisons operates five different types of prisons, namely minimum security, low security, medium security, high security, and administrative; the latter category is for inmates who require extensive medical treatment or are at high risk of escape attempts.  Minimum security prisons, also known as prison camps have dormitory-type housing, and many of the inmates participate in offsite work programs.  You can only get sentenced to a minimum security camp if you are not considered dangerous; the sentences are relatively short, and the assumption is that, after release, inmates will go back to a productive life on the outside.  Therefore, the pace of life in a minimum security camp is designed to help inmates focus on the future and prepare for their post-prison lives.

In the News

Those who are following the Operation Varsity Blues Scandal are getting the impression that a prison sentence is probably inevitable for actress Lori Loughlin, who allegedly paid bribes to get her daughter accepted to a prestigious university.  Given her lack of prior criminal convictions and the nonviolent nature of her charges, her sentence will probably be in a minimum security camp.  Prison consultants Michael Frantz and Justin Paperny, both of whom run consulting companies where they counsel people facing sentences in minimum security camps, would give her the following pieces of advice:

• Respect the rules and code of etiquette in the prison
• Find a new daily routine
• Avoid infractions that could get you sent to a higher security prison
• Use the prison time to prepare for a better life post-release
• Look for opportunities to reduce the length of your sentence

So far, Frantz and Paperny have only offered Loughlin general advice in a public forum.  She has not yet received a verdict in her case.

Contact an Attorney Today for Help

Invest in a criminal defense lawyer, and you might not need a prison coach.  Contact Pittsburgh criminal defense attorney Gary E. Gerson about criminal charges.

Resource:

bop.gov/inmates/fsa/faq.jsp

yahoo.com/news/prison-consultants-lori-loughlin-prep-142028343.html

bop.gov/about/facilities/federal_prisons.jsp

https://www.pittsburghdefenselawyers.com/two-carlisle-teens-charged-as-adults-for-armed-robbery/