EXCLUSIVE: If jailed, Trump would most likely be held at RIKERS ISLAND in the infirmary with a concrete box to exercise in and two secret service agents outside his cell, professor of criminal justice says
- Mike Lawlor, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice at the University of New Haven said the former president wouldn't be given 'special treatment'
- He would be put into 'protective custody' for his own safety and kept away from other prisoners
- Because of his age, experts believe that the 73-year-old would probably be house in the infirmary of the infamous jail
Former President Donald Trump could be facing several years of incarceration if he is found guilty of any charges brought against him in a historic indictment in New York.
The 45th president's legal woes have been snowballing for several years, with another legal probe still ongoing in Georgia as well as a possible federal investigation.
If Trump, who is 76, is jailed over the claims he paid hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels then he will most likely end up at Rikers Island jail – which houses some of the city's most notorious criminals.
Mike Lawlor, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice at the University of New Haven, told DailyMail.com that it is most likely for Trump to end up at the infamous facility based on where his trial will be heard.
Trump would be given a no-frills treatment -similar to that of disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein – and would be forced to wear the second-hand orange boiler suit.
The 45th president's legal woes have been snowballing for several years, with another legal probe still ongoing in Georgia as well as a possible federal investigation
But if he is convicted and sentenced to a jail term, the former president and 2024 hopefully could find himself in a single-occupancy cell in Rikers, Queens
As a former president – who recently announced his 2024 campaign, Trump gets lifetime protection by the Secret Service, and would have two members of the agency sitting outside of his 10 by 7 ft cell.
Lawlor, who chaired the House Judiciary Committee from 1995 to 2011, told DailyMail.com: 'Depending on the length of the sentence, if it is relatively short, less than a few years, he will serve it on Rikers Island in New York.
'If it's a longer sentence, it would be in one of the correctional facilities upstate. But it is worth keeping in mind that Alan Weisselberg is currently incarcerated in Rikers.
'Like Trump, he is older, and Trump would have to be in protective custody, isolated. They have facilities for that on Rikers, it is half empty, so there is no shortage of space.
'Because of his age, he could also end up in the infirmary facility because he could have a variety of health issues and we are sure he has some.
'It is not a complicated thing to happen, but it is sensational. It would be relatively easy to accomplish.
'Trump would have protective custody and would probably have a 1-1 status which is usually reserved for suicidal prisoners.
'He would have one or two secret service details sitting outside his cell with the correctional officers.
The 400-acre island in the East River, connected by a bridge to the borough of Queens, is home to nine jails
Lawlor, who chaired the House Judiciary Committee from 1995 to 2011, told DailyMail.com that Rikers was the most likely prison for Trump to be sent to
Trump would be given a no-frills treatment -similar to that of disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein – and would be forced to wear the second-hand orange boiler suit
'It is what the Secret Service does anyway, just in a different setting. I'm sure there would be a screening of who had access to him and who came in or out of that particular unit.
'There will be no special treatment or privilege for a former politician. He is just like everybody else, will be subject to strip searches, have a prison uniform bed which is not comfortable and if and when incarcerated, he will have to deal with it.
'I don't think they'll make an exception for him. He's the one who in front of a bunch of cops said don't be too nice to these guys when you arrest them.'
Ex-Trump Org CFO Allen Weisselberg, 75, is currently spending five months at Rikers – and is spending his time in the infirmary because of his age and medical conditions.
It is something that experts say will also have to be taken into account for Trump – who is three years older than Weisselberg.
However, if a case is brought within the federal system, Lawlor says it will be 'easy' to transport the former president to a different facility – adding that it is likely he will spend time in Otisville.
As a former president – who recently announced his 2024 campaign, Trump gets lifetime protection by the Secret Service, and would have two members of the agency sitting outside of his 10 by 7 ft cell
Ex-Trump Org CFO Allen Weisselberg, 75, is currently spending five months at Rikers – and is spending his time in the infirmary because of his age and medical conditions
It is something that experts say will also have to be taken into account for Trump – who is three years older than Weisselberg
The federal facility is where a former lawyer for Trump, Michael Cohen, spent time after he was found guilty of campaign finance violations as part of a scheme to pay hush money to Stormy Daniels and another woman.
Lawlor said: 'Trump is being charged with basically the same thing that Cohen was convicted of, and if he isn't in Rikers he could be put in a federal facility.
'The same one as Cohen possibly, there are lots of ways to jail very high-profile people. El Chapo has been incarcerated, or the 9/11 terrorists, the Unabomber, the Son of Sam – there are plenty of people who have had to be put into protective custody.
'It is not new for correctional facilities to do this. This would be the ultimate version but it isn't that unusual.
'Assassination threats are what the Secret Service are thinking of all the time, it is a lifetime job. The conviction could come some years from now, and Trump being Trump he will most likely appeal at every point possible.
Rikers is New York's most notorious jail, having housed high-profile inmates like Tupac Shakur and the man who shot and killed Beatles singer John Lennon - Mark David Chapman
Lawlor says it will be 'easy' to transport the former president to a different facility – adding that it is likely he will spend time in Otisville (pictured)
'But if the appeals process is exhausted, then I am not sure that Trump's life expectancy would call for him to be locked up in a jail cell – he would likely be in the infirmary and he is already pushing 80 now.
'There will be no golf or tennis for Trump, if he is in protective custody, then he will be allowed outside but in a box for his own safety.
'The top will be open, but he won't be able to interact with anyone except for correctional staff. He is in a league by himself, and snipers and the like have to be considered.'
A Bureau of Prisons spokesman added that each inmate's prison designation is based on several factors.
They said: 'Some of the factors include the level of security and supervision the inmate requires, any medical or programming needs, separation and security measures to ensure the inmates protection, and other considerations including proximity to an individual's release residence.'
Rikers is New York's most notorious jail, having housed high-profile inmates like Tupac Shakur and the man who shot and killed Beatles singer John Lennon - Mark David Chapman.
Other famous jailbirds include David Berkowitz, better known as the Son of Sam, a serial killer who shot eight people dead in New York City in the summer of 1976.
Musician Sid Vicious, rappers Foxy Brown, DMX, and Lil Wayne have also all called the facility home over the years.
The 400-acre island in the East River, connected by a bridge to the borough of Queens, is home to nine jails.
Lawyers and criminologists have been calling for the infamous jail's closure for years, citing its age and remote location, which makes family visits difficult.
