Josh Duggar is now back with the general prison population after spending weeks in close quarters after he was caught with an illegal cellphone earlier this year. Duggar, 35, was convicted of receiving and possessing child pornography charges and was originally sentenced to 12 years and seven months in prison. His sentence was reportedly extended by an additional two months.
The disgraced former reality TV star was released from the prison’s Specialty Housing Unit (SHU) on March 14, sources told The Ashley’s Realty Round-Up. Duggar was supposed to stay in the 10×6-foot cell longer but was reportedly moved back to the general population due to overcrowding. He was “thrilled to be released,” sources said.
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One source claimed Duggar’s cellmate in the SHU was an inmate nicknamed “Joe Dirty” because of his poor hygiene. “Joe is also transgender, so, given Josh’s beliefs, that was probably not fun for Josh,” the source told The Ashley. The source described the inmate as “downright crazy and nasty.”
Duggar still faces some limits on what he is allowed to do. He was banned from having visitors for the next 180 days and still cannot use the phone. Duggar was also banned from visiting the commissary during those 180 days. “That means Josh can’t talk to his wife [Anna] at all for 180 days,” the source said.
Duggar could also be in trouble with the inmate who helped him acquire the cell phone that put him in the SHU. One former prisoner told The Ashley that some inmates who obtain cell phones “rent them out” to other inmates. The person who is caught using the phone will be on the hook to pay the original owner. Duggar is only making $5 a month, with could make paying that back a major challenge.
Duggar is serving his sentence at the Federal Correction Institution in Seagonville, Texas. He was originally expected to be released in August 2032. However, it was reported last week that the prison sentence was extended by another two months. He is now set to be released on Oct. 2, 2032. Once he is released, Duggar will still face 20 years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender. He is also required to attend sex offender treatment and pay a $10,000 fine. His attorneys have appealed the conviction.
After Duggar was arrested in April 2021, TLC canceled Counting On, the series that tracked Duggar’s family. His parents and many of his siblings have spoken out about his conviction, including Jinger Duggar Vuolo. She is “grateful for the justice that is being served,” she told PopCulture.com in February.
“It’s been tough. It’s definitely something that’s super difficult to talk about,” Vuolo told us. “When anybody walks through a challenge in life, it’s hard enough, but then doing that in the public eye is next level and it’s challenging… But I will speak to just my brother’s situation. It’s so heartbreaking and my heart just really breaks for the victims. I’m grateful for the justice system that is in place.”
