According to Jussie Smollett's enraged brother, jail officials relocated the former 'Empire' star to a mental ward after determining he was a risk of self-harm.
Jussie Smollett's sibling Jocqui Smollett criticized his confinement in a psych unit as "a complete lack of justice" two days after he was sentenced to five months in Cook County Jail in Chicago for lying to police about a made-up homophobic and racial attack.
Jussie Smollett's Brother Says He Has Been in Psych Ward
Jussie Smollett was sentenced on Thursday, more than three years after he told police in January 2019 that he was attacked by two men who screamed racist and homophobic slurs at him, tied him up, and poured a chemical on him.
Jussie was suspected of staging the attack by paying two brothers to attack him, according to the inquiry. Jussie Smollett was convicted of five counts of disorderly conduct and lying to the police in December.
Jussie, who is 39 years old, has always maintained his innocence. Following his sentencing last Thursday, the actor stated that he "is not suicidal." In an Instagram video, Jocqui also emphasized his brother's innocence and opposed his placement in a psychiatric facility. Jocqui's claim has elicited no public response from Cook County Jail officials, according to New York Daily News.
In court on Thursday, Jussie stressed that he is not suicidal for the public to know if something bad happened to him in jail - a reference to Jeffrey Epstein's jail cell hanging, which many believe was an "inside job."
Judge James Linn awarded him "day for day" eligibility, which means that if he behaves well in prison, he will be released after 75 days, or slightly over two months. According to TMZ, Smollett is being held in the psychiatric ward, which is also where high-profile convicts are housed.
The 'Empire' Actor Says He Would Get Harsher Sentence
The Cook County Sheriff's Office confirmed to DailyMail.com that Smollett is not being detained in solitary confinement and that he spends significant time outside of his cell but declined to confirm or refute allegations that he is being placed in a psychiatric facility.
Jussie Smollett's brother claims he hasn't received clear answers from jail officials as to why his brother is purportedly in a psych unit. He advised people to use social media to figure out what was going on.
Despite his short sentence, Smollett informed his attorneys before his Thursday court hearing that since he is black, he would receive a heavier penalty than other people convicted of a non-violent misdemeanor. He called this proof of institutional racism in the justice system.
Smollett told his defense team after his sentencing that his prediction was right, that the 150-day sentence was "unfortunate" and "sad," and that he blamed it on Judge Linn's anger toward him.
Smollett will serve his term in the Cook County Jail, which is a short distance from the court and is one of the country's largest jail complexes. The Cooks County Sheriff's Office stated on Friday that the 39-year-old will be held in his cell and would be monitored by the camera at all times, as requested by Smollett's legal team.
Smollett faced up to three years in prison, and his counsel tried one final time to persuade Judge James Linn not to sentence him to prison, but it wasn't enough to persuade him.
Throughout, the actor has claimed that the Chicago Police Department and prosecutor's office have engaged in a racist and homophobic campaign against him. He and his supporters argue that he is being unfairly punished because of his notoriety and that any other person would not have been sentenced to prison for the offenses he was found guilty of.
Instead, he will spend the next two and a half months in the Cook County Jail, a short distance from the court and one of the country's largest jail complexes. He is currently being kept in Division Eight, primarily for inmates who have been injured or are unwell. It's unknown whether he'll be held there for the duration of his sentence or if he'll be relocated after undergoing health exams, the New York Post reported.
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