Harvey Weinstein Was Just Sentenced to 23 Years in Prison
Today Harvey Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison. The stunning decision came a little more than two weeks after a Manhattan jury found Weinstein guilty of first-degree criminal sexual act and third-degree rape. For the 67-year-old former producer, who is said to be in poor health, it is essentially a life sentence.
On February 25, we published the story below about what Weinstein might expect from life behind bars, below.
Soon after Harvey Weinstein was convicted of rape and sexual assault, CNN reported that the former movie executive had hired a prison consultant to help him navigate his time behind bars. Advising affluent, mostly white-collar criminals who are headed to jail has become a big business, as Town & Country reported last year, and there are now advisers who specialize in teaching wealthy clients everything from what to buy at the commissary to how to land the best prison jobs.
We spoke to Justin Paperny, CEO of White Collar Advice, about the unique challenges that Weinstein will face behind bars.
Where will Weinstein serve his sentence?
“There are a lot of steps before this happens, including sentencing and appeal, but ultimately the New York State Department of Correction makes the decision what level of facility he’ll serve in and where.”
Will it be one of those lightweight, white-collar prisons?
“[DOC] will classify him based on his crimes and sentence. Because of his offense, it is unlikely he’d be eligible for a minimum security ‘camp’ [no walls; unrestricted movement]. Instead he would be sent to a place where he’ll be fenced in.”
“He may end up in a medical facility, which could be a benefit for him because while you're in with all types of prisoners, many of them have phased out of crime and many of them are very sick.”
Will prison be harder for Harvey Weinstein than it is for, say, Bernie Madoff?
“He has three challenges as I see it: One, he's a convicted sex offender and sex offenders always have more negative scrutiny both from prisoners and staff in prison. Two, he is a celebrity. If you’re anonymous it is easier to get into your own routine. That will be impossible for Weinstein. Three, he apparently has significant health issues and getting good medical care in prison presents its own set of challenges.”
Where will he fall in the prisoner hierarchy?
“It would not be inaccurate to say that other prisoners tend to respect a killer more than someone convicted of a sex offense. Weinstein can expect that people will come up to him, call him a rapist, call him a molester. He may disagree. He may say, ‘I'm going to appeal.’ But that's not gonna mean much to other prisoners who generally loath sex offenders. That's going to be the biggest problem for him. And if it gets so out of control to the point where he feels threatened, he may have to check into protective custody, where he's essentially alone because he's just not safe.”
Should he offer to read his fellow prisoners’ scripts?
“Americans love celebrities and that holds true in prison. Even as far as he has fallen, there will be people inside who will lionize him because of the movies he made, the celebrities he knew. Some people are going to want to be around and curry favor with him."
"He can also expect to be ostracized by prisoners who resent his resources. How he responds to being called out in the chow hall by someone complaining that he got a better deal because of his lawyers will determine what his experience is like.”
Will having a medical condition help or hurt him?
“Medical care inside prison is not even close to being the same as what you would get with a private physician, and that's a big hurdle for Weinstein. Usually, I encourage our clients to speak as little as possible to prison staff [to avoid being seen as trying to curry favor], but when you have health issues, that is clearly a time you should speak up to staff, articulate your problems, and really advocate for yourself. The best thing for him would be for his lawyers to argue that his health issues are so severe he should remain free pending his appeal or that he be held at a hospital under supervision.”
Should he hire other prisoners to protect him?
“It’s common, but it presents a whole other set of complexities. What happens if the cost goes up? What happens when you stop paying?”
Any small steps he can take?
“Try to create a routine that keeps him away from as many prisoners as possible. That may require him waking up early and spending time alone while the rest of the prisoners are sleeping. That may require him to try to find a job, for example, in the library or somewhere where he's alone. It may require him to go to bed early because a lot of trouble can happen at night in the TV area.”
How much could someone like Weinstein spend on prison consultants?
“It depends on the level of work and engagement. A five hour conversation with someone to prepare for prison could be a few thousand dollars. But if someone is going to be coaching and guiding them throughout the whole journey, that could be $100,000 or much more."
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