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CHICAGO (WLS) — Jussie Smollett has filed an appeal after spending his first night behind bars after a judge sentenced him to five months for lying to police about a fake hate crime.
Smollett is now in protective custody at Cook County Jail, the Cook County Sheriff’s Office said in a written statement.
“Mr. Smollett is not being held in solitary confinement,” the sheriff’s office wrote. “The use of solitary confinement was abolished at the Cook County Jail in 2016, and any claims that he is being held in this manner is false. Mr. Smollett is being housed in his own cell, which is monitored by security cameras in the cell and by an officer wearing a body worn camera who is stationed at the entrance of the cell to ensure that Mr. Smollett is under direct observation at all times.
“As with all detained persons, Mr. Smollett is entitled to have substantial time out of his cell in the common areas on the tier where he is housed, where he is able to use the telephone, watch television, and interact with staff. During such times out of cell, other detainees will not be present in the common areas.
“These protocols are routinely used for individuals ordered into protective custody who may potentially be at risk of harm due to the nature of their charges, their profession, or their noteworthy status. The safety and security of all detained individuals, including Mr. Smollett, is the Sheriff’s Office’s highest priority.”
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