Even though Savannah Chrisley says that her parents are experiencing harassment in prison, the family isn’t backing down.
Todd and Julie Chrisley are currently serving sentences — lengthy ones, for financial crimes — in separate facilities.
We have repeatedly heard from other Chrisley Knows Best alums (their children) about how unjust and unsafe the conditions are.
Now, Todd believes that this is all part of a divine plan. He hopes that, by exposing the horrors of his incarceration, he can improve conditions for countless other victims of the same system.
The infamous Chrisley Knows Best star believes that his prison sentence is actually a mission from God (he is a devout Christian) to help others. In this case, fellow inmates.
TMZ spoke to Todd’s attorney, Jay Surgent, about what he describes as “gross negligence and such total disgregard for human life and decency.”
Apparently, Todd has witnessed this “from both the staff and just the entire corrections system” while serving his time at FPC Pensacola in Florida.
The vast majority of the people in prison are not famous. In fact, though there are of course high profile trials, people with wealth and power are often able to avoid incarceration.
Did you know that a simple arrest — even a case of mistaken identity, with the person cleared within days — can ruin someone’s life? Not everyone can afford to miss a day of work, and some would lose their jobs for it.
Obviously, that’s not Todd’s situation. He’s a convicted criminal, and he’s reasonably rich. But he believes that he has a platform that can shed light on the unjust realities of life behind bars.
Todd has described experiencing mistreatment during his incarceration.
He has also witnessed things that are “nothing short of cruel,” and he reportedly aims to fix that. Or, at least, to try.
His attorney cites an example. Todd witnessed a man suffer a seizure. That man did not receive help for more than an hour.
Todd’s attorney says that he is “planning to launch programs and resources” to assist inmates with an array of problems.
We’re not totally clear on how he plans to do this.
Like we said, Todd is reasonably rich. In the sense that a dentist or a longtime character actor might be rich. Perhaps he plans to raise funds for such programs, since he likely could not launch an effective campaign himself.
A representative for the Federal Bureau of Prisons spoke to TMZ.
“While we decline to comment on anecdotal allegations,” the FBOP began, “we can emphatically assure you the Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP) is committed to ensuring the safety and security of all individuals in our population, our staff, and the public.”
The rep went on to claim: “Humane treatment of the men and women in our custody is a top priority.”
We cannot say whether Todd’s prison sentence was actually a divine mandate to raise awareness of carceral injustice.
That is, as always, between him and his god.
But, and I say this as someone who harbors a strong personal dislike for Todd, he’s talking about doing very good things.
Prisoners — literally all of them — are people.
They deserve healthcare, safety, and basic human dignity.
Even if none of them were innocent (many are), even if all of our laws were just (many are not), they’re still people.
Todd Chrisley Believes God Sent Him to Prison to Enact Carceral Reform was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.