Which Prison Was Bill Cosby In?
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He may not be “America’s Dad” anymore, but that doesn’t mean he lacks his horde of supporters.
As he spent the first few hours of his release at his Elkins Park home, some went out to show their jubilation. One such person was Phylicia Rashad, who termed it the righting of a horrible wrong and rectifying a miscarriage of justice.
But was it a miscarriage of justice? Is his release before his term elapses legitimate? Probably not to his victims, their loved ones, and many other people keen on his legal proceedings.
With that being said, which prison was Cosby in?
Bill Cosby was serving time at Collegeville’s SCI Phoenix. Although booked for a three-to-ten-year term, he got out after spending a little less than three years.
Dive in for details into how he got into SCI Phoenix, what his life was like at the prison, and how he got out before his due date.
Where is SCI Phoenix Located?
SCI Phoenix is a maximum-security prison in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. This correctional facility in Collegeville is about an hour’s ride from City Centre. It’s a 35-mile drive down Highway 76 to the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
The institution got dedicated on 1st June 2018 and started accommodating detainees a month later on 9th July. SCI Phoenix was established to replace SCI Graterford, established in 1929.
Facilities and Services at the SCI
Having opened only two months before Cosby’s admission, the institution didn’t have a long list of detainees. It has a 3,830 inmate capacity.
Moreover, there are an additional 192 beds within its Female Transitional Unit. This unit, based outside the institution’s perimeter, focuses on preparing convicts to return to society and reunite with their families. The Female Transitional Unit is the first of its kind in Pennsylvania.
SCI Phoenix has two different wings: the East and West. At the center are the Admin, food service, and medical sections that serve both wings.
The institution has 15 housing units, eight in the West wing and the rest in the East wing. Each housing unit has a 282-bed capacity. While the East wing specializes in newly-admitted inmates and parole offenders, the West wing is for the general population.
With a full-time employee population of 1200, the institution has an adequate capacity to tend to the needs of its high inmate population.
SCI Phoenix has an acreage of 164 inside its double ring of razor wire fences plus a 1.5-mile perimeter.
The reason Cosby went to SCI Phoenix is because it also is a special needs prison. A special needs prison means it houses inmates with sensitive type charges or those housed for medical purposes, for instance, senior prisoners.
Being 81 years at the time of his incarceration and legally blind, a maximum prison-like SCI Phoenix was the most suited to accommodate him.
Cosby’s Imprisonment
Bill Cosby was imprisoned on 26th September, becoming the first celebrity within the #MeToo era to do so. After being accused of sexual assault against various women, including Ms. Andrea Constand, the comedian was found guilty and sentenced by Judge Steven O’Neill.
He was eventually put behind bars for three counts of indecent assault plus sedating and sexually harassing Ms. Constand.
Amongst the testifying women was Chelan Lasha, who expressed her pleasure for finally getting her justice after over three decades.
Cosby was immediately placed under arrest after the trial, with O’Neill denying him his bail request.
How Was Prison Life Like for Bill Cosby?
Upon conviction, the actor spent a short time at Montgomery County Correctional Facility before being moved to SCI Phoenix.
After his admission, he initially stayed in a one-person cell, a place he soon nicknamed “the penthouse.” His thirteen by seven-foot gray-colored cell had little to offer when compared to luxury. Attached to the ground was a stainless-steel loo, while his bed has a three-inch mattress.
After roughly four months, he moved from his “penthouse” to the SCI’s communal section.
For most stars who have tested prison life, being behind bars is a harrowing experience, even if you are in America’s cushier white-collar prisons. But if he were to experience some of the incidents other celebs did, he may not have fared so well.
He once had a situation where allegedly, a stale hot dog got thrown at him. At one time, he also fell down the stairs. Another time, he complained about his tie, shoelaces, and cane getting taken.
Prison Popularity
During his first week at the SCI, he spent time making friends. Imagine being escorted around the prison, touring it, and having a personal aid to help you around?
Although all inmates should receive the same treatment in prison, being a celebrity comes with its perks. While ensuring a convicted star stays locked up, the facility also has to take a little more measures to guarantee the security of the person.
Despite prison being meager in comparison to his previous lifestyle, he enjoyed life more than most prisoners. At one time, he even termed life behind bars as an “amazing experience.”
Phil Di Pietro, a fellow convict, narrated how Cosby had quite some privileges. He said the comedian received more assistance and privacy than he got while at his home.
He even declined the SCI’s meals and feasted on the best treats from the commissary, such as turkey, sausages, tuna, and six different cheese types, added Pietro.
Cosby’s cell block was also first in the yard and dining area due to him, which earned the disgraced star adoration and cheers from his fellow inmates.
In 2019 during an interview with two released inmates that served time at the SCI, the two shed light on how Cosby was having the time of his life.
He made other prisoners laugh, “all day long,” said Raheem Shackelford, one of the two with the other being Don Jones. “As soon as he exits the cell, he’s just Bill Cosby, nothing different,” he continues.
Registered as inmate number NN7687, Cosby had no unique treatment according to these two. Nobody bothered or threatened him.
Daily Activities
On a typical day, Cosby would wake up at 3.30 am to do exercise. He’d do leg lifts, push-ups, push against his bed, then take a shower.
At 7.00 am, Cosby would have his breakfast. The entertainer then came back to the block and watched TV. Jones pointed out that after watching TV, one could “go to the general yard if you’d want to, which he never did.”
The disgraced star lost a lot of weight while at SCI Phoenix. Within a year of incarceration, he was lighter by 33 pounds. His spokesperson, Andrew Wyatt, noted in an interview that he didn’t eat bread, dessert, or drink coffee after going to prison.
Jones further commented that when Bill first entered prison, the guards at SCI Phoenix were a little star-struck at first. His entrance caused a stir at the institution.
Cosby spent most of the time in his wheelchair as he is legally blind. Shackelford states that at one point, Cosby told him, “I did not know that you were speaking to me because I am a man, unsighted.”
When Shackleford asked Cosby how they were treating him, he said, “first-class service.”
Solitude
While serving his time, none of his family members visited him, not even his wife of 57 years, Camille. His spokesman, Wyatt, while giving an insight into how one year in prison was like for Cosby, said, “he doesn’t want his family there. He has requested them not to be there.”
He preferred to converse with Camille over the phone three times a day, each call lasting three minutes. During his imprisonment, only his attorneys, besides Wyatt, could visit him.
Health
His spokesperson had assumed that he would get released much earlier than that.
In a 2020 interview, Wyatt pointed out he expected an early release considering his age and health. “Governor Wolf gave Reverend Jesse Jackson every indication back in April that he was going to release Mr. Cosby because of him being elderly, and he had two major surgical procedures,” he said.
The reason for his surgeries was to remove both his carotid arteries having 90% blockage on both the left and right sides.
Being totally blind, it was impossible for him to social distance during the Corona pandemic. He had to rely on others to help him around. Six inmates close to his cell block tested positive for Coronavirus, prompting Cosby to undergo a 26-day quarantine.
Wyatt stated that he was a fit candidate for house arrest, something that never happened.
Cosby’s Release
After much effort to release him, the former actor finally left SCI Phoenix on 30th June 2021. Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court overturned his conviction due to a non-prosecution agreement with a previous prosecutor.
According to Wyatt, he had a deal that gave him immunity and should have never gotten tried on the case. Cosby said his encounter with Andrea Constand was consensual.
The ruling prevents him from being tried again on the sexual assault case. And although he is free, the decision to set him free doesn’t exonerate him from his crimes.
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