Anthony Weiner has been sentenced to 21 months in prison for sending sexually explicit material to a minor at New York federal court, but his time in prison may not be as bad it sounds.
The 53-year-old must surrender to a designated prison facility, which has not yet been determined, on November 6.
However, Weiner’s lawyer has asked if his client can be spared the ordeal of a maximum-security jail in New York and instead be sent to Schuylkill Federal Correctional Institution in Pennsylvania.
Schuylkill is a minimum security facility and has a way of life for its prisoners so relaxed it has been nicknamed ‘Club Fed’.
Anthony Weiner’s lawyer has asked if Schuylkill in Pennsylvania (pictured) could be considered because he does not want to be placed in a maximum security jail
Weiner has been sentenced to 21 months in prison for sending sexually explicit material to minor on Monday at New York federal court
There’s plenty to do a Schuylkill Prison Camp with pool tables, a weight room, full equipped gym, a law library and TV & video room
Such facilities are often known as federal prison camps and are where disgraced CEO’s and and other white-collar criminals end up.
Weiner’s crimes classify him as a sex offender after he admitted exchanging sexually charged messages with a 15-year-old girl.
If Weiner is seen as a ‘low-risk’ inmate who is unlikely to escape or become violent, he stands a good chance of being placed at the Schuylkill Prison Camp.
Former inmates have described the prison as being more like a holiday camp than a harshly-run state penitentiary.
Schuylkill is a three-hour drive from New York City, set in the Pennsylvania countryside
The inmates sleep in open dormotories on bunk beds rather than in cells isolates from other prisoners
Among numerous perks, other perks, Schuylkill has a relatively low staff-to-inmate ratio and the felons do not live in locked cells but in dormitory-style housing with rows of bunk beds like an army barracks.
They are served three meals a day beginning with continental breakfast at 6am.
Even more surprising, if the inmates wanted, they could walk right out of jail because there is no perimeter fence. Those who do, however, face severe consequences when recaptured with loss of privileges.
Upon arriving, inmates are given a personal locker to store their belongings including clothes. The are able to buy food at the prison commissary along with books and photos.
Schuylkill also has plenty of facilities for its inmates including a gym with powered treadmills, stairmasters and exercise bikes, pool tables, a basketball court, baseball field, racquetball court and even a greenhouse and vegetable patch for prisoners to improve their gardening skills.
The prison is set in the lush woods of Pennsylvania with prisoner able to roam around at will
Prisoners have their choice of any number of outdoor recreational activities including baseball, racquetball or just sitting in beautifully landscaped wooded areas to enjoy lunch
Inmates are also allowed to use a computer and send delayed emails to approved recipients for a fee.
‘It used to be that those freestanding facilities were considered to be more relaxed,’ says David Novak, a former Microsoft consultant who served time in a federal prison camp for mail fraud told Forbes. ‘The differences now really come down to convenience for family, weather and things of that nature.’
The inmates are helped in their rehabilitation with various different kinds of work programs including off site at institutions like Army or Naval bases.
Weiner would qualify to be housed at Schuylkill because his sentence is less than 10 years and is non-violent.
Like any convicted felon, there are still strict rules of conduct and order for the inmates with additional punishments like loss of privileges or even isolation.
Inmates are given a high level of freedom considering they’re in jail and could even wander off the premises, although they would face severe penalties
According to InmateAid the prison camp is considered to be the best situation for those incarcerated, there is still no privacy.
Inmates must dress, shower, and use the bathroom in the company of other inmates.
All inmates wear identical clothing and any possessions must be purchased from the commissary.
Meal times are set each day between 6-7 am for breakfast, 11 am for lunch and 4:30 for dinner with no cutting in line or seconds.
Weiner will be allowed visitors four times a week between Friday and Monday.