Why Is Julie Chrisley in a Medical Prison? Inside the Details of Her Imprisonment

Former reality star and recently pardoned prison inmate Julie Chrisley (along with husband Todd Chrisley) has been in prison since January 2023 on a host of federal charges. However, the medical facility where she is now serving her time is not where she was originally serving her sentence. So, why is Julie Chrisley in a medical prison?

Before their arrests, Julie and Todd, along with their children, were the stars of the popular USA network reality series Chrisley Knows Best, which premiered back in March 2014 until it was canceled following their prison sentences.

On Jan. 17, 2023, Julie and Todd began serving their prison sentences. She received 7 years and he received 12 years, but at the last minute, her location changed from the Federal Correctional Institution Marianna in Jackson County, Florida, to the Federal Medical Center Lexington in Lexington, Ky., according to Business Insider.

At the time, a spokesperson for the Bureau of Prisons told the outlet that they could not provide a specific reason for her relocation to a medical prison facility. "While we do not share the reasons why a specific inmate was designated or transferred to a particular correctional institution, we can share general information about the [Bureau of Prison's] designation process," the spokesperson said.

It should be noted that Julie was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012 and underwent a double mastectomy in 2013. In a 2022 interview with PEOPLE, to mark the 10th anniversary of being cancer-free, Julie shared that her doctor told her that she could stop taking the cancer medication after 10 years had passed.

In August 2019, Julie and Todd were indicted on 12 federal counts of bank and wire fraud, tax evasion, and conspiracy, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The couple has vehemently denied any wrongdoing and has continued to maintain their innocence while incarcerated.

A little over a year into serving her sentence in June 2024, a judge granted Julie’s appeal and her seven-year sentence was vacated due to insufficient evidence — but just a few months later in September 2024, another Georgi judge ruled that Julie's original sentence was sufficient and she was resentenced to the original 84 months in prison, according to PEOPLE.

"I would like to say I’ve had years to think about what I’ve wanted to say, and I’m sorry for my actions and situations that led us to where we are today," Julie said at the court hearing, per the outlet. "I’ve had 20 months in prison, but it has been much more leading up to the trial, and I apologize for my actions that led to where we are today."

"I have done everything I can do to get closer to my family. I’ve taken tests for new skills, such as driving a forklift and serving food in proper ways … this has been the most difficult part of my life. I can’t ever repay my children for what they’ve had to go through, and for that, I am so sorry," she said.