Bill Cosby has been moved to a general population cell
A Pennsylvania Department of Corrections spokeswoman has confirmed that Bill Cosby entered the general population last month.
A Pennsylvania Department of Corrections spokeswoman has confirmed that Bill Cosby entered the general population last month at the prison where he’s serving a three to 10 year sentence.
According to WHNT, Amy Worden, press secretary for the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, says Cosby was moved on January 28 and is being “treated just the same as any other inmate.”
Worden wouldn’t divulge at which specific prison the disgraced comedian is being held, but did say it is not a geriatric unit, so Cosby will be surrounded by fellow inmates of all ages.
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Despite the assurance from officials that all is well, on Thursday, Cosby’s spokesman claims he visited the 81-year-old last week and at that time he was not in general population.
“He made it clear that he’s not in general population but has contact with a trustee that guides him around,” said Andrew Wyatt.
“He does not eat in the area with other residents, he does not have a cell-mate, and he does not exercise with other residents,” Wyatt continued. “Thus meaning that Mr. Cosby is not in general population because that would be detrimental to his safety and security, due to his blindness.”
Worden responded to the critique by stating that Wyatt clearly misunderstood what general population means, and she confirmed that yes – Cosby is in a unit within the prison’s general population.
She then goes on to explain that “high profile inmates” are usually kept away from the general population until the prison superintendent decides it’s safe to integrate them, because integration is always the goal.
While Worden admits she doesn’t know which specific factors lead to the decision to integrate Cosby last month, she does know that the general population cells where he is being held are set up in two stories around a central “day room,” where inmates can talk, watch TV or play cards, Worden said.
Bill Cosby has moved into a wing with other inmates at the Pennsylvania prison where he is serving a sentence for sexual assault. He spent his first 4 months in prison in a special isolated unit. https://t.co/ZhblJhJ1JK
— The New York Times (@nytimes) February 7, 2019
