The day Todd and Julie Chrisley surrendered to federal prison, I told their daughter Lindsie it was a good day. That might sound strange, but it’s true. Once you self-surrender, the clock starts. The anxiety and guessing end. You begin serving time, not just thinking about it.
I’ve seen that moment play out hundreds of times. I served just over a year in a federal prison camp. My partner served 26 years straight—ten of those in a camp—for a nonviolent drug offense. Those final years served no purpose. Just more time on the calendar.
Prison Camps Don’t Work the Way People Think
Federal prison camps like the ones Todd and Julie were in don’t reduce harm. They warehouse people who could be working, rebuilding, or making restitution.
The Public Outrage After the Pardon
The media flooded in after the Chrisleys were pardoned. I got the messages. “They never pled guilty.” “They never took responsibility.” “Why should they get out early?” These were reporters, critics, and people online asking the same question: Why them?
My answer is the same I give to everyone. We send too many people to prison. We hold them until the calendar tells us to let go.
I don’t excuse fraud. I’ve served time for it. But we can hold people accountable and still say, “Enough.” At a certain point, prison stops helping.
If You’re Facing Sentencing, Focus on the Right Message
What the Chrisleys do next matters. If they go public, I hope they don’t blame prosecutors or scream about injustice. That approach doesn’t change minds. It just confirms what critics already believe.
The same goes for anyone facing sentencing. If your goal is to influence a judge, a probation officer, or BOP staff, stop talking about how unfair everything is. Start talking about what you’ve done to demonstrate how you are part of the solution. Start showing how you’ll contribute.
Judges don’t respond to blame. They respond to action. They want to see receipts.
Here’s What Productive Messaging Looks Like
Speak plainly about what you’ve seen inside. Talk about the people serving 15-20 years while their families fall apart. Talk about the patterns—generational trauma, poverty, addiction. Talk about how you plan to be useful on the other side.
If you owe money to victims, find a way to earn and pay it back. Push for work release. Every paycheck that goes toward restitution matters more than another six months in a bunk bed.
Push for parole. Push for earned freedom. These programs give people a reason to work. And they give the system a way to measure progress.
I Knew the Chrisleys Personally—That Doesn’t Change the Message
I worked with the Chrisley family. I’ve spent time with Lindsie, with their grandma, with the entire crew in Atlanta. I care about them. That doesn’t change what I’d tell any client in their position.
The pardon is a chance. It’s not a reward. It doesn’t mean the sentence was wrong. It means now you have to prove what you’ll do with the second chance.
This applies to anyone reading who’s under investigation or preparing for sentencing. Don’t wait to start building your record. Don’t wait until it’s too late to show you’re serious.
Use the Time You Have to Build Credibility
Time doesn’t stop because you’re scared. You don’t need a pardon to build a record that shows remorse, restitution, and a plan. You need commitment. You need a message that holds up under scrutiny.
The public may be angry about the Chrisley pardon. That’s fine. What matters now is what they do with it—and what you do with the time you still have.
If your name appeared in the news tomorrow, would the record you’ve built show action, or just complaints?
Justin Paperny
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