Here’s what day-to-day prison life will be like for Bob Menendez

Oh, Gold Bar Bob. You thought this day would never come. Waking up inside a prison. The first morning of thousands.

On Tuesday, former Sen. Bob Menendez began serving an 11-year sentence for bribery and conspiracy at FCI Schuylkill, a medium security federal prison.

What will his time be like? After being caught doing favors for Qatar and Egypt, and being showered with bribes, and being in possession of 13 gold bars worth $150,000 along with $500,000 stuffed in jackets, boots, and anywhere else he could stuff it, his time will not be nearly rough enough.

Contact with outside world

Yet his life certainly won’t be what he’s used to.

He will be allowed four visits per month. Each visit can have up to four adults. Those visits can only happen on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The prison gets to give approval to those visits.

If you’d care to write to good ol’ Gold Bar Bob, he can receive cards, letters, and postcards. If you’re lucky (unlucky?), he may even write you back. Ooh, suitable for framing.

Speaking of writing, Menendez will also have access to a limited email system. His emails will be character-limited, and only people on an approved list can email him, and only if they set up an account with the Bureau of Prisons.

His phone calls will be outgoing only and are strictly limited to 300 minutes per month. So, an average of an hour and fifteen minutes per week and no more.

Spending money

Here’s the craziest thing. According to a New Jersey Globe article, he is looking for contributions to his prison commissary account. Sure, it would make sense that some family members might send Western Union money into Gold Bar’s fund, but are we waiting for total strangers and Democratic supporters to do it?

Sorry, Bob, see if anyone sends cash your way now that they can’t get anything out of you in exchange for it.

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It might be tough since he can’t bring anything with him to prison. Everything from a headset to listen to music or watch television, a watch, casual clothing, toiletries, and stationery, all must be bought there through the commissary. Even those phone calls and emails must be paid for.

Passing the time behind bars

Recreation? Not to worry. Bob Menendez can get in shape with various activities, including basketball, bocce ball, soccer, volleyball, softball, etc.

All medically able inmates are expected to adhere to work assignments. Those work assignments could be food service, groundskeeper, plumber, painter, etc. Hey, how about a dry cleaner? After all, he’s pretty good at finding money in jacket pockets.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Jeff Deminski only.

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