Honestly, if you've been following the Chrisley family saga, you know the drama didn't stop when the cameras for Chrisley Knows Best went dark. The big question on everyone's mind for the last couple of years has been: what prison was Julie Chrisley in? It wasn't just a random choice by the Bureau of Prisons.
Julie Chrisley spent the bulk of her time at FMC Lexington, which is a Federal Medical Center located in Lexington, Kentucky. She reported there on January 17, 2023, after a whole lot of legal back-and-forth about where she’d actually serve her time. Originally, there was talk of her going to a facility in Florida to be closer to Todd, but the system had other plans.
She wasn't just there to sit around, either. Life inside FMC Lexington was a far cry from the Nashville mansion fans saw on TV. It's a facility that handles inmates who need medical or mental health care, though it also has a satellite camp for minimum-security inmates. Julie was part of that camp life.
Why FMC Lexington and Not a Regular Camp?
You might wonder why a reality star convicted of bank fraud and tax evasion ended up in a medical center. Basically, the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) makes these calls based on a mix of security levels and health needs. While the specific medical reasons for Julie's placement weren't always public, the facility is known for being a bit different than your standard "Club Fed" camp.
It’s located at 3301 Leestown Road. If you look it up, the place has a history. It's not exactly a vacation spot. In fact, after she got out, Julie and Todd didn't hold back on their podcast, Chrisley Confessions 2.0. They talked about some pretty rough conditions. Julie mentioned she developed a lung condition while serving her 28 months there. She blamed it on "black mold" and "asbestos" in the building.
"You will probably notice me at certain times trying to get a breath," she told her listeners in mid-2025. It's a stark reminder that even for the famous, prison is prison.
The "Card Shark" of the Compound
Even though things were tough, Julie apparently found ways to keep her mind sharp. We actually got a glimpse into her daily life through Sharita Matthysse, a former inmate who served eight months alongside her.
Sharita went on Savannah Chrisley's Unlocked podcast and spilled some tea. Apparently, Julie was a total "card shark."
- She was known for her quick walking pace around the track.
- She spent a lot of time playing cards with other women.
- She even taught a real estate class to fellow inmates.
It's kinda wild to think about. One day you're on a red carpet, the next you're explaining property flipping to a room full of inmates in Kentucky. But according to Sharita, Julie was actually helpful. She even encouraged Sharita to pursue real estate after her release, which Sharita actually did—flipping a house for a $60,000 profit just ten days after getting out.
The Resentencing Drama and the Marshals
The answer to what prison was Julie Chrisley in got a bit complicated in late 2024. For a while, she actually "disappeared" from the BOP website.
In June 2024, an appeals court vacated her original seven-year sentence. They found that the trial judge had messed up the math on how much of the bank fraud scheme Julie was actually responsible for. This led to a huge moment in September 2024 where she had to be moved for a resentencing hearing in Atlanta.
During that time, she wasn't at FMC Lexington. She was in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. Fans on Reddit were losing their minds trying to find her. She was being shuffled between holding facilities and transport vans, often shackled, which her lawyer Alex Little described as a "multiple-hour trip" to get her to court.
At that September 2024 hearing, things didn't go the way the family hoped. Judge Eleanor Ross didn't budge much. She resentenced Julie to the same 84 months (seven years). Julie was then sent right back to the facility in Lexington to continue her time.
The Unexpected Ending in 2025
If you're looking for where she is right now, in 2026, the answer is: she's home. Everything changed on May 27, 2025. In a move that shocked a lot of people but made total sense to Chrisley fans, Donald Trump issued a full presidential pardon for both Todd and Julie Chrisley.
💡 You might also like: Justin Timberlake Apologize Song: What Really Happened Onstage
The timeline was fast:
- Trump called the Chrisley children to tell them the news.
- The paperwork was signed within 24 hours.
- Julie walked out of FMC Lexington on Wednesday night, May 28, 2025.
She was spotted the very next day in Nashville at a butcher shop with Savannah and Lindsie. She looked different—rocking her natural hair color and looking significantly thinner. After 28 months behind bars, she was finally done with the Kentucky facility for good.
Actionable Insights for Following the Case
If you're still digging into the legalities or the facilities involved in this case, here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Check the BOP Inmate Locator: If you're ever curious about a high-profile inmate, the Federal Bureau of Prisons has a public search tool. Just know that if someone is "In Transit" or with the Marshals, they might show up as "Not in BOP Custody."
- Understand Facility Types: An "FMC" (Federal Medical Center) is different from an "FCI" (Federal Correctional Institution) or an "FPC" (Federal Prison Camp). Placement is often about health, not just the crime.
- Pardon Effects: A presidential pardon, like the one the Chrisleys received, "wipes" the case in a way that allows for immediate release, though restitution often remains a separate legal hurdle.
Julie's time at FMC Lexington is over, but the health issues she claims she developed there are likely going to be a talking point for a long time. It’s a finished chapter in her life, but the fallout—both legal and physical—is still very much a reality for the Chrisley family today.