'Blade' Star Could Score 'Club Fed'
Wesley Snipes' life in prison may not be too shabby, experts say.
April 25, 2008 — -- Film Star Wesley Snipes won't be donning prison stripes anytime soon, said several prison experts, who told ABCNEWS.com that Snipes' life in the slammer will likely be stripe-free and a lot cushier than most might expect.
The star of the movie "Blade" was sentenced Thursday to three years in prison following his February conviction on three misdemeanor tax fraud charges for failing to pay millions of dollars in federal taxes.
His lawyers said they would appeal the sentence, but if he does end up doing time, sentencing consultants said a federal prison camp, and not a maximum security prison, would likely become Snipes' new home away from home.
"With no prior record, [Snipes] will end up in a minimum security prison," said John Webster, the managing director of the National Prison and Sentencing Consultants Inc. "There will be no bars, no cells, and it will be dormitory type housing -- he'll never be locked in a cell."
"The only blood he'll see is if he cuts himself shaving," added Webster, who has advised many high-profile clients on their impending time in prison and has also served time himself.
Because Snipes' main residence is in New Jersey, it's likely he'll end up in a prison within a 500-mile radius, said Webster, who added that it's "going to be a very comfortable existence in terms of prison."
One probable place for Snipes' internment is the federal prison camp in Fairton, N.J., which is a low security complex for men and, according to Ed Bales, the managing director of Federal Prison Consultants LLC, is one of the few "Club Feds" still around.
"[Fairton] is one of the best camps and is known for having housed a lot of high-profile criminals," said Bales. "It's small, about 100 people in the camp, and has small ranch-style buildings."
"It's a laid back place," said Bales, "and one we consider to be run well."
So laid back, in fact, that Bales said the inmates can wear khaki slacks and shirts while they're on the job -- teaching, preparing food and landscaping are some of the options -- and during their off-time prisoners can purchase gray sweat suits and sneakers to wear. Bales sometimes advises his own clients to wear sweat pants when they report for their sentences in the hope that they'll get to keep their clothes to wear on the inside.
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