Elizabeth Holmes, Billy Evans.Photo: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg
At the time, Holmes was pregnant with her second child. Since then, she has given birth to the child, and seen her appeal seeking a reduction to her sentence denied.
Holmes is expected to serve her sentence at Federal Prison Camp Bryan in Texas, a minimum security facility about 100 miles from Houston, where she grew up.
Elizabeth Holmeswas sentenced to more than 11 years in prison last week, forcing thepregnant motherto be away from her children for a large portion of their childhoods.
In photos taken outside the courthouse, Holmes, 38, was visibly pregnant, meaning she will likely give birth to her second child before she turns herself in to federal authorities on April 27 of next year to begin serving time.
After that, for the duration of her prison sentence, “Her kids might see her for a few hours on the weekend[s],” according to Lynn Espejo, a criminal justice reform advocate and former federal inmate.
Holmes was convicted in Januaryof defrauding investors in connection with her Silicon Valley blood-testing start-up, Theranos, Inc. In addition to her sentence of 11 years and three months in prison, she was ordered to serve three months of supervised release after her incarceration.
David Paul Morris/Bloomberg
Holmes had asked the court for a sentence of 18 months of house arrest. Her lawyer called her a “loving and dedicated mother and partner,” who is dreading being away from her children,The Mercury Newsreports.
Prosecutors argued for a 15-year sentence — and for Holmes to pay $804 million in restitution for 29 investors, according toThe New York Times.
In a sentencing memo, Holmes' partner,Billy Evans, a hotel heir, asked the court to give Holmes a lighter sentence, saying she would miss so many special moments with their son, including rocking him to sleep at night,The Mercury Newsreports.
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Elizabeth Holmes.Justin Sullivan/Getty
Holmes herself tearfully told the court, “I regret my failings with every cell of my body,“The Mercury Newsreports.
Elizabeth Holmes.David Orrell/CNBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images
Family Visits
Federal prisons allow limited visits for inmates' families. According to the BOP website, “an inmate gets at least four hours of visiting time per month but usually the prison can provide more.”
Phone time is also limited. Under the CARES Act, enacted because of Covid, inmates were allowed 500 free minutes to talk to loved ones, according Espejo, the criminal justice reform advocate.
But that could be over now, says Espejo. “If the CARES Act is not in place, she’s going to receive 300 minutes a month to talk to her family at 21 cents a minute,” she says.
Inmates have to be careful to use their precious minutes wisely, Espejo adds. “I saw women running out of minutes all the time, saying they couldn’t call home for another two weeks.”
‘She Could Be Out in 7 Years’: Expert
The good news for Holmes is that she won’t serve the entire 11 years and three months in prison, unless her behavior is bad, says Levine.
“When all is said and done, she could be out in seven years,” he says.
Under federal law, prisoners serve 85 percent of their sentences, which means that Holmes could end up serving a little over nine and a half years.
Elizabeth Holmes.HBO
Prisoners can also take six months or 10 percent off that 85 percent, which could end up being a little over eight and a half years.
She can shave a year off her sentence if she takes part in “programming” or classes, Levine says.
No matter where Holmes ends up – or for how long, Espejo says it’s going to be challenging, boring at times – and lonely.
“People think it’s ‘Camp Cupcake,'” she says. “It’s not.”
source: people.com
