Lori Loughlin Could Be Home From Prison by Christmas

Lori Loughlin could be back with her family in time for Christmas. The Full House actress, 56, is currently serving her two-month prison sentence for her involvement in the college admissions scandal after surrendering to authorities last month and has a scheduled release date of Sunday, Dec. 27. However, as Entertainment Tonight notes, prison officials can release an inmate whose release falls on a Saturday, Sunday or national holiday on the last weekday before on their discretion. As this year, Christmas Eve falls on a Thursday and Christmas Day on Friday, Loughlin could possibly be released ahead of the holidays.

The actress is currently serving time at the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, California, after reporting for her sentence on Oct. 30. Still, she has been unable to see family members or other visitors amid the COVID-19 pandemic. She is also required to pay a fine of $150,000 and complete 100 hours of community service upon release after pleading guilty to fraudulently plotting to get her daughters admitted to college at the University of Southern California. Despite being cut off from family visits, a source told Entertainment Tonight that she has been speaking to her loved ones every day.

“Lori’s been communicating daily with her family and is trying her best to get acclimated to her new surroundings but she’s ready to go home,” the source said. “This is a huge challenge. She is trying to stay strong but she’s also been very frightened of contracting COVID. This was a huge stress for Lori even before she was locked up and now her fear is even worse.”

Meanwhile, Loughlin’s daughters are reportedly “doing everything they can to reassure her that she can do this and trying to help her to stay strong.” The When Calls the Heart alum “never in a million years” thought she would be in prison and has been having a “very difficult time dealing with that reality.”

During Loughlin’s August sentencing, she acknowledged the “awful decision” to give her daughters an “unfair advantage” in their admission to USC. “In doing so, ignored my intuition and allowed myself to be swayed from my moral compass,” she continued. “I thought I was acting out of love for my children, but in reality, I had only undermined and diminished my daughters’ abilities and accomplishments.”

The mother-of-two said she wished she could “go back and do things differently” but would now “take responsibility and move forward.” She concluded, “I have great faith in God and I believe in redemption and I will do everything in my power to redeem myself and use this experience as a catalyst to do good and give back for the rest of my life,” tearing up as she declared herself “profoundly and deeply sorry” and “ready to face the consequences and make amends.”