Life Inside a White Collar Prison

Published May 23, 2021

If you’ve followed the whole debacles concerning famous names like Michael Cohen and Paul Manafort, the term white-collar prison would be familiar to you. It’s where white-collar criminals like them are usually sent to spend their sentences. Most people also know it as “Club Fed” and for a good reason.

If we are to believe the rumors, a white-collar prison is where big-ticket criminals continue to live in luxury. It’s almost like they never went to prison at all. There are even claims that those white-collar criminals live out some sort of hedonistic fantasies inside it.

But what is a white-collar prison, really?

In reality, there are no white collar prisons. At least, in the eyes of the law. The term was invented by people to refer to posh prison facilities where society’s who’s who are kept. But it certainly is not the country club time out everyone thinks.

US prisons are classified based on the security level of the inmates inside them. There are four types of prisons in the country: juvenile, minimum security, medium security, and high security.

Some prisons, regardless of security classification, have better amenities than others. This makes them a magnet for convicted high-flyers who are looking to do their jail time in less “hostile” environments. But white-collar criminals are not the only ones housed in these prisons. Drug pushers, thieves, and other non-violent criminals walk its halls too.

With these backgrounds, it’s not surprising that there’s a rising curiosity about what goes on inside its walls. What is life really like inside a white-collar prison? To get as accurate a picture as possible, we turn to former white-collar criminals for answers.

Amenities

Since most white-collar criminals are considered non-violent, they’re mostly sent to minimum-security prisons typically run by the federal government. This type of facility usually has a “campus type” setting which makes it more like a prison camp than an actual prison. Inmates sleep in dormitories with bunk-like settings. Depending on the prison population, they can be crowded and extremely noisy.

Some federal prison camps also have facilities for physical activities. There’s an open ground where inmates can run around or do some stretching in the morning. Then there are sports amenities like tennis, volleyball and basketball courts. Some even have softball fields.

Inmates also get to watch their favorite shows in the TV room. In FCI Otisville, Florida, inmates can use the library to read legal books and even open their emails. Some inmates even get to write and maintain their own blogs while inside.

White-collar criminals who are sentenced from 25 years to life are sent to maximum-security prisons. Amenities in these parts are far less appealing than minimum security prisons. For one, inmates are kept in individual cells. They don’t get to do any sports as all they see the whole day are the walls and the high fences.

Routine

Inmates typically start their day very early, whether by choice or lack thereof. The counting would start just before breakfast which is around 6:00. Those who want to do a morning jog would have to get up earlier than that.

After breakfast, they’ll have to go to their individual jobs or their studies if they are on a study program. Some inmates who are in for the long haul can choose to continue their studies to prepare them for eventual release. Then it’s lunchtime and then back to their jobs then dinner. Weekends are theirs to do whatever they like.