After Josh Duggar Is Shipped Off To Federal Prison, Details Emerge About What His Life Behind Bars Is Like

Josh Duggar grinning in 19 Kids and Counting Clip, TLC
(Image credit: TLC)

The Josh Duggar was found guilty on child pornography-related charges toward the end of last year, but it took some time to get him into the federal prison system. Instead, the former 19 Kids and Counting star spent time in the Washington County Detention Center ahead of sentencing and then again while the powers-that-be determined which of two prison systems he would land in. He ultimately ended up at Seagoville and a new report has shared details about what Duggar’s life behind bars has been like. 

First and foremost, Seagoville is a Federal Correctional System located in Texas; it was also the prison option that was further away from Josh Duggar’s family. However, it’s also a prison system with a sex offender treatment program the other system, Texarkana, did not have. Though news of Duggar’s transfer broke the day it occurred, it took a few days to determine where the reality personality had landed. Now, we’ve learned more details about what Duggar’s 151-month stint in prison will be like. 

We already knew Josh Duggar would not be allowed any conjugal visits with his wife Anna during his time behind bars, but a new report over at TMZ indicates Seagoville requires a “military”-like attention to detail from its inmates. Per the outlet, the list of rules Duggar must abide by includes but is not limited to: 

  • Making his bed military-style by 7:30 a.m. every morning.
  • Committing to a daily list of chores including sweeping, mopping and taking out the trash.
  • Stopping all loud talking and noise by 9:15 p.m. at night; noise must cease by midnight.

The article notes the prison Josh Duggar is serving his time at is low-security and that work and other options are offered to inmates. Other reports about Seagoville have indicated that men live in “pods” in the prison and that calls are limited to 15 minutes at a time and are recorded by the facility. Interestingly, a Without A Crystal Ball Report came from the mother of another inmate at Seagoville, who noted time spent outside of the Federal system did not count toward her kid’s sentence. 

If that part is true, Josh Duggar was only transferred to Seagoville a little over a week ago, so that lengthy amount of time he spent in the detention center between the end of his trial and his shift to the Federal Correctional Facility might have been moot. He will serve roughly 12.5 years in prison before he is released, which is less time than the prosecution wanted him to serve but is far more time than Duggar’s own lawyers were pushing for. 

Once he is out of prison, Josh Duggar will still face 20 years of restrictive probation. This includes the possibility of being asked to take a lie detector test at any time. He will need to get permission to use any kind of device that is able to story photos. He also will not be able to be alone in a room with his children and will lose other freedoms, including the ability to obtain a medical marijuana card. He will not be able to access porn of any kind. 

As for whether or not Josh Duggar will get into any kind of work while he is in the Seagoville facility, we'll keep you posted. The former 19 Kids and Counting star's legal team is in the middle of the process to appeal.  

Jessica Rawden
Managing Editor

Jessica Rawden is Managing Editor at CinemaBlend. She’s been kicking out news stories since 2007 and joined the full-time staff in 2014. She oversees news content, hiring and training for the site, and her areas of expertise include theme parks, rom-coms, Hallmark (particularly Christmas movie season), reality TV, celebrity interviews and primetime. She loves a good animated movie. Jessica has a Masters in Library Science degree from Indiana University, and used to be found behind a reference desk most definitely not shushing people. She now uses those skills in researching and tracking down information in very different ways.