Julie Chrisley will be returning home from prison, and her daughter Savannah expects the transition to be “really difficult.” Following the news of Julie having her sentence vacated by a judge — due to a lack of evidence that she was involved with the levied financial crimes for the full extent of the scheme — Savannah took to her Unlocked podcast to share with listeners how her mom is doing and what they expect her prison exit to look like.
Savannah noted that her step-mom’s return is “not gonna be easy,” as she might experience “PTSD” from some of the things she allegedly “witnessed,” as well as any “abuse” she suffered, while imprisoned. “She was like, ‘You know, you can’t leave me when I come home. Right?’” Savannah shared. “And I was like, ‘What do you mean? She was like, ‘I mean, I know you wanna have your own life, and I want you to do that… But for the first few months, you’re gonna have to stay with me. Like, we’re gonna have to get adjusted.’”
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The podcast host also shared how it “broke my heart” to learn that the U.S. prison system could “break people in a matter of days.”
“Just to watch my parents become so institutionalized,” Savannah continued, then revealing that she corrects Julie whenever she refers to herself as an inmate. “You’re not referring to yourself like that. You are a person, and you’re worth more than the things that you’re saying to yourself.”
Savannah went on to say that Julie’s homecoming will be “challenging,” and that the Chrisley Knows Best alum will likely need “lots of therapy” to reintegrate into normal life.
“Anything I can do to help her get in the best space she could possibly ever be in, that’s what I’m gonna do,” Savannah explained. “Because I can only imagine how she’s gonna feel coming home, and it’s gonna be overwhelming. And when I get the call that she can come home, I honestly don’t think I’m gonna tell anyone.”
She plans to keep Julie’s return so secret, that Savannah won’t even be mentioning it to her younger siblings, Chloe and Grayson. “It’s just gonna be a lot to be reintegrated back into things when you live literally in the same freaking room, 24 hours a day, freaking 365 days a year,” she said. “It’s gonna be tough for her. So that does worry me, but at the same time, we all know we can do it.”
In November 2022, Todd and Julie Chrisley were sentenced to serve prison time after their bank fraud and tax evasion convictions. Todd was sentenced to 12 years behind bars while Julie was given a seven-year sentence. Two months after their convictions, the pair each reported to prison to serve their respective sentences. Todd reported to FPC Pensacola in Florida, a minimum security prison camp, while Julie is being held at the Federal Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky.
As previously mentioned, it was recently announced that a judge has vacated Julie’s sentence. Todd’s sentencing and conviction have been upheld. According to Entertainment Tonight, Julie will remain behind bars while she awaits a hearing. Savannah has said they hope that she will be home by Thanksgiving.