Ex-President Donald Trump Will Likely Be Sent To Rikers Island If Found Guilty Of Criminal Charges
March 31 2023, Published 6:30 p.m. ET
If Donald Trump is found guilty of any of more than 30 charges included in his historic indictment, he could be jailed at New York's infamous Rikers Island or a state prison RadarOnline.com has learned.
A source familiar with criminal law issued the claim to Daily Mail after it was announced that the Manhattan grand jury voted to indict the former commander-in-chief on Thursday.
With the grand jury's decision, Trump made history as the first ex-president to face criminal charges.
Trump's grand jury indictment — which looked into an alleged $130,000 hush-money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election — was the first domino to fall in his long list of possible legal woes.
The indictment included over 30 fraud-related charges, which means that if Trump is found guilty, he could face one year behind bars at one of New York's most notorious correctional facilities, Rikers Island. If sentenced to more than a year, he will be remanded to a state prison in upstate New York.
Mike Lawlor, an associate professor of criminal justice at the University of New Haven, predicted Trump wouldn't receive any "special treatment."
Lawlor, who previously chaired the House Judiciary Committee from 1995 to 2011, told the Daily Mail that the length of sentence would be a determining factor on where Trump served time if he's found guilty.
"Depending on the length of the sentence, if it is relatively short, less than a few years, he will serve it on Rikers Island in New York," Lawlor explained. "If it's a longer sentence, it would be in one of the correctional facilities upstate. But it is worth keeping in mind that Alan Weisselberg is currently incarcerated in Rikers."
Never miss a story — sign up for the RadarOnline.com newsletter to get your daily dose of dope. Daily. Breaking. Celebrity news. All free.
If jailed at Rikers, Trump would be far from the plush amenities that he's used to.
Lawlor shared that due to the ex-president's age and profile, he would be sent to an isolated part of the correctional facility, which has plenty of space to house inmates.
"Like Trump, he is older, and Trump would have to be in protective custody, isolated. They have facilities for that on Rikers, it is half empty, so there is no shortage of space," the criminal law professor stated. "Because of his age, he could also end up in the infirmary facility because he could have a variety of health issues and we are sure he has some."
Lawlor added that while the thought was "sensational," it wasn't a complicated methodology — and would "be relatively easy to accomplish."
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
The former House Judiciary Committee chair also noted that the former television personality would likely have a "1:1 status" which is "reserved for suicidal prisoners."
This means Trump would have "protective custody," including "one or two secret service details sitting outside his cell with the correctional officers."
"There will be no special treatment or privilege for a former politician. He is just like everybody else, will be subject to strip searches, have a prison uniform bed which is not comfortable, and if and when incarcerated, he will have to deal with it," Lawlor added about Trump's potential stay at Rikers.
Lawlor, along with other legal experts, heavily relied on the treatment of former Trump Organization CFO Weisselberg, who is currently serving a five-month sentence at Rikers.
