Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino has started his life behind bars.
His rep told E! News the Jersey Shore star turned himself in at 11:45 a.m. local time on Tuesday. Mike is set to serve eight months at the Federal Correctional Institution in Otisville, New York for tax evasion, which he pleaded guilty to last year.
Before heading in, the MTV star bid a final farewell to his followers on Instagram.
“The comeback is always greater than the setback,” he said on the car ride over.
He also received words of encouragement from his co-stars and wife Lauren Sorrentino.
“So proud to call this incredible man my husband,” the supportive spouse wrote alongside a throwback photo of the couple. “Just found this pic from Lake Tahoe the year we got back together in 2013. To the strongest man I know, I love you endlessly, see you soon honey #FreeSitch.”
“The Situation” will certainly live a different lifestyle during his time behind bars. To get a better sense of what this might look like, read on below.
According to the FCI Otisville Inmate Handbook, all intimates receive a set of clothing and a standard bed roll upon arrival. The bed roll consists of two sheets, one pillowcase, two towels and two wash cloths. The handbook states inmates must be in full uniform, which means “shirts tucked in and pants pulled up around their waist and secured with a belt.” Per the handbook, all inmates designated to FCI Otisville must take part in its Admission and Orientation Program, which consists of a case management and medical screening, as well as a screening by the mental health staff. In addition, each person is assigned a job based on institutional needs.
As far as a typical weekday goes, inmates wake up at 6:00 a.m. They then have breakfast at 6:15 a.m. and begin work call or programs at 7:30 a.m. From 7:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., they also have unit inspection. Then, the inmates do leisure activities from 8:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m and eat lunch from 10:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
After lunch, the inmates take part in work call or programs from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. At 4:00 p.m., they have institution count. From 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., they have dinner. Then, they take part in leisure activities from 5:00 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. before having another institution count at 10:00 p.m. At 11:30 p.m., it’s lights out.
The weekend schedule is fairly similar; although, there are later wake-up and breakfast times. Work call and programs are also not scheduled.
“The Situation’s” family and friends can also visit on the weekends. Visiting times are between 8:00 a.m. and 2:45 p.m. on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and federal holidays. Although, there is a dress code visitors need to respect.
Before turning himself in, Mike also tweeted the mail address for the institution; however, there are a few rules regarding outside communication. Per the handbook, inmates cannot receive polaroids, and they’re allowed to seal outgoing mail. As for email, inmates are permitted 30 email addresses and are given 30 minute intervals with 15 minutes between sessions. However, they are charged $0.05 per minute. They must also purchase their time in increments of 40, 100, 200, 300 or 600 minutes. All emails are monitored.
Telephone calls are also monitored. Inmates are limited to 300 calling minutes per month, and each call is restricted to 15 minutes maximum. Three-way calls are also not allowed. Inmates can either make a collect call or pay for a call through their commissary.
FCI Otisville; Getty Images
Speaking of the commissary, inmates have a spending limit of $320 per month. They can also make commissary purchases once a week. There are a number of items available for purchase. For instance, inmates can purchase food items like candy bars for $0.90, Pop Tarts for $1.65, tuna for $1.95 or a pizza kit for $3.60. They can also buy hygiene items like Colgate Total toothpaste ($3.00), an Oral B toothbrush ($3.20), Pantene shampoo ($7.30) or deodorant ($2.00).
In addition, they can purchase miscellaneous items like tissues for $0.70 or shower shoes for $4.95. Over-the-counter medications, like cough syrup ($2.35) or allergy tablets ($1.60) are also available for purchase. Clothing items, religious items, greeting cards and miscellaneous items are up for sale, as well.
There is also a barber shop, a law library and education programs.
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