The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Jen Shah is now the resident of FPC Bryan in Bryan, Texas, after being sentenced to 6.5 years in prison for fraud.
She surrendered on February 17 to the facility that had been requested by Jen’s legal team. The Federal Prison Camp is the lowest security facility available in the federal system and is nicknamed “Club Fed,” comparing it to the luxury resort Club Med.
But what will her new life be like behind bars? Experts are giving fans a view into Jen’s new normal, which includes dormitory-style housing and little fencing surrounding the facilities due to relaxed security.
After her initial transition from a free woman to an inmate, Jen will likely be assigned a job, earning 12 cents to $1.15 an hour for food service or factory work.
She will also have access to classes like foreign language and business, as well as be able to burn off some steam with physical activities and crafts.
Jen’s legal team also said that she plans to attend a substance abuse treatment program for an unspecified issue. The intensive plan lasts nine months and takes up half of each day, while the other half is left for work, school, or other activities.
RHOSLC: Jen Shah plans to ‘make amends’ during her prison stint
In a statement from her lawyer, Priya Chaudhry, Jen is reportedly determined to “make the most of” her time behind bars.
The Salt Lake City native said that her “resolve to make her victims whole and to turn her life around is unyielding,” adding that she is “committed to serving her sentence with courage and purpose.”
The statement was released only hours before Jen’s sentence was set to begin, and it acknowledged that Jen’s “path ahead” will be “filled with challenges.” It also stated that with the support of her friends and family, Jen is determined to “emerge from this experience a better person.”
Jen Shah revealed during Season 3 that she attempted suicide
In a climactic moment during a chaotic girls’ trip in San Diego, Jen shocked her fellow Housewives and Bravo viewers when she admitted she had attempted suicide.
While lunching with toxic bestie Heather Gay and Lisa Barlow on the beach, the ladies discussed the fake Instagram account made by friend-of Angie Harrington called @shahxposed, which was meant to put Jen on blast.
Once Jen found out about this fake account, she said the news, along with the stress of her upcoming trial, sent her into a mental health breakdown, leading to a brief hospitalization.
Jen said in a confessional, “I have always felt like I’m a pretty strong person. But when I found out about @shahxposed, it came on a day when there was just a lot of negativity dealing with the trial, and I got to the point that day where I was done.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or is experiencing a mental health crisis, call or text 988.
The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City is currently on hiatus.