"Real Housewives of New Jersey" star Teresa Giudice is currently at a Danbury, Conn. prison. According to NorthJersey.com, the 42-year-old began her 15-month sentence early Monday morning (Jan. 5). She arrived by car to the Federal Correctional Institution shortly before 3 a.m. with her attorney, James J. Leonard Jr., and an investigator who works with Leonard. Giudice self-surrendered several hours before her reported time.
"We took her in the front door," Leonard told NorthJersey.com. "There were several officials from the prison there waiting for us. They were extremely courteous and respectful. They answered a lot of questions that we had - basic questions regarding visitation and access to the telephone and the commissary and things like that... They were very respectful and that was it. And then she went into the facility."
Leonard said he picked Giudice up from her New Jersey home around 2 a.m. before they made the 90 mile drive to Danbury. Before heading to the prison, Leonard said they grabbed a bite to eat so they could talk.
Giudice's husband, Joe, stayed at home with their four daughters. When asked what kind of move the reality star was in upon surrendering, Leonard said she was "very, very strong."
"What I would say is, very anxious to get this thing started and very anxious to get it behind her," he added. "In all of my discussions with her, her singular focus has been on her four children. She's never talked about, what is this gonna be like for me. Always her concern is with her children, not with herself."
Giudice and her husband were indicted on several counts of fraud and both sentenced to prison. Joe is expected to begin his 41-month prison sentence in 2016 when his wife is released. Federal Correctional Institution is the same prison singer Lauryn Hill was sent to and where "Orange is the New Black" author Piper Kerman served her time.
Shortly after Giudice checked into prison, her 13-year-old daughter Gia tweeted, "Support system is unreal #soblessed."
