Jerry Sandusky, 68, will very likely spend the rest of his life behind bars for molesting young boys.
Sandusky was sentenced Tuesday to no less than 30 years, and no more than 60 years in prison, with credit for 112 days served. That means if Sandusky lives for 30 more years, he would get his first opportunity to apply for parole. If he’s granted parole, it would continue from the day he gets out of jail through the next 60 years.
So what will Sandusky’s life be like in prison?
In Session correspondent Jean Casarez spoke with Pennsylvania Department of Corrections Press Secretary Susan McNaughton about Sandusky’s daily life while he is incarcerated.
Now that he’s been sentenced, Sandusky will be taken to the Pennsylvania State Correctional Institution at Camp Hill, which is the state's diagnostic and classification center for men. Here, he will be evaluated and authorities will decide where he will ultimately be housed.
“We do not have a specific unit for sex offenders, however there are housing options available to us should such a need arise -- administrative custody, single cells, a ‘special needs’ housing unit. This unit is for any offender who has some sort of issue or condition that could make them potentially vulnerable to be in general population,” said McNaughton.
McNaughton would not comment on whether Sandusky would be housed in protective housing or the general population.
In the Pennsylvania prison system, Sandusky's mornings will begin at 7 a.m., McNaughton said. She is unsure about the size of his cell because she doesn’t know where he will be housed.
“Our cells vary from prison to prison, as some were built prior to 1900 and others were opened in the later 2000s,” said McNaughton. “We have 25 state prisons that house men.”
Sandusky has a master’s degree so he will be encouraged to work a prison job.
These jobs include a variety of roles in kitchens, maintenance and industrial plants. He could make anywhere from 19 cents to 51 cents per hour.
Sandusky will have some freedoms behind bars. He will be allowed to wear his wedding band in prison. He will have the opportunity for outside recreation, including organized activities like running, lifting weights and basketball.
He will also have the chance to purchase a TV. McNaughton said that he can use money that his family and friends place in his account to buy items, including a TV, from the commissary.
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