What Sam Bankman-Fried’s long stretch in prison might look like
Inmates can make ceramics or crochet at a federal prison in Lompoc, Calif. At a federal prison in Mendota, a few hours away, inmates can have a harmonica or play basketball on one of five facility courts. Those prisons represent possible landing places for FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, who will in coming months report to begin serving his 25-year sentence, imposed Thursday by U.S.
District Judge Lewis Kaplan in Manhattan. Kaplan recommended that the onetime entrepreneur be assigned to either a low- or medium-security prison near where his parents live in the San Francisco Bay Area. In making the recommendation, the judge cited Bankman-Fried’s low risk for violence and noted that his autism and association with wealth make him a target for other prisoners.
The prison’s security level will play a significant role in how his experience unfolds. In a low-security facility, Bankman-Fried would likely sleep in dormitory-style housing and have more freedom to move around the prison. His bunkmates would more likely be fellow white-collar criminals.
In a medium-security prison, Bankman-Fried could be serving time with inmates with long sentences for violent crimes, including sex offenses. In some medium-security facilities, inmates sleep in cells. “Medium-security prisons are going to be much more volatile," said Justin Paperny, a prison consultant who works with white-collar criminals.
Ultimately, the decision on where Bankman-Fried is sent is up to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, which oversees 122 detention facilities around the country. The bureau may follow Kaplan’s guidance and send Bankman-Fried to the West Coast. But it doesn’t have to.
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