Todd Chrisley, along with his wife, Julie, has been sharing quite a bit since the two of them were pardoned for financial-related offenses. During recent interviews, both of the former Chrisley Knows Best stars have been opening up about various facets of their experiences over the past few years as well as their reunion with their family members. When it comes to Todd, he hasn’t minced words when discussing his displeasure with his prison experience. He did, however, just reveal one of the bright spots that came with being behind bars.
After being found guilty of bank fraud, tax evasion and more in 2022, Todd Chrisley reported to Federal Prison Camp in Pensacola, Florida in early 2023. Chrisley has been critical of the facility’s staff and claimed that he was treated unfairly in many respects. The father of six echoed those sentiments while appearing with Julie on the Unlocked podcast, which is hosted by their daughter, Savannah. Despite that, Todd also highlighted the personal connections he was able to make with a number of his fellow inmates:
The men, as a whole, became my brothers, because I’ve never had that camaraderie. I never wanted to be around a bunch of men. I say that it was one of the greatest things, because I was able to listen to grown men sit and cry about their life, about the abuse they’ve gone through, about the mother that gave them away or the father that had abused them, or the fact that they never could go to school because they had to work. Here, they’ve gone to prison, their wife is having an affair, and one just got served with a divorce or someone lost a child in a car accident.
Shortly after Todd and Julie Chrisley reported to prison, the former’s daughter, Lindsie, said the pair had been “welcomed with open arms” to prison. These latest sentiments from Todd seem to lend credibility to the notion that he was indeed accepted by his peers while locked up. This would also seemingly align with the claim that Todd believed it was a good thing that he was sent to prison, as he could be used as a vessel from God to help improve fellow inmates’ lives.
The Chrisley patriarch reportedly sought to do just that by working in the chapel at the penitentiary. His religion-based position actually became a major topic of discussion in late 2024, as it was reported that Chrisley had been let go. Just recently, he reflected on his work in the chapel and chastised a social media user who he says lied about him not serving in that position.
During his stint in prison, Todd Chrisley also spoke out about what he perceived as poor conditions for himself and other inmates. He claimed that the food was not up to par, and he alleged that he was photographed while sleeping, with those pics allegedly being used for ransom purposes. In spite of all that, Chrisley values his relationships with those he met, and that’s why he does credit the prison system for one thing:
I realized that the Bureau of Prisons, the only thing that they, in my opinion, get right is that it’s the greatest equalization tool that I’ve ever been involved in, because we are all the same. If the world would take on that concept that we are one, the world would be a better place.
Following their prison stints, the Chrisleys have seemingly adopted a different view on the prison system, and they seem to be aiming to commit themselves to advocacy for prison reform. Alice Marie Johnson, the Presidential pardon czar who helped facilitate the couple’s pardons, advised the Chrisleys to take it easy as they continue to readjust to society. Todd and Julie aren’t wasting time, however, as they’re already circling a return to reality TV and are reportedly looking for a pricey deal.
Todd Chrisley may be moving on from his time behind bars, but his comments seem to indicate that he’s not going to forget his time with his “brothers.” As time goes on, the public will see if or how he continues to stay involved in prison advocacy.
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