Prison Consultant Michael Frantz Says Harvey Weinstein Should Stay Low in Jail
Harvey Weinstein has reportedly hired a prison consultant, according to Page Six. This was to learn all about time behind bars following his rape conviction on Monday. Experts told Insider that the best thing he can do is keep his head down.
The disgraced movie mogul, who more than 80 women have accused of sexual misconduct, was convicted of third-degree rape and first-degree criminal sexual act in New York on Monday.
Prison consultants spoke to Insider about what Weinstein should expect behind bars. This includes Michael Frantz, the founder of Jail Time Consulting who served 36 months in prison for tax evasion. This also includes Justin Paperny, the founder of White Collar Advice who was sentenced to 18 months in prison for a felony security laws conviction.
Weinstein was taken to a Manhattan hospital with chest problems following the verdict. However, he is set to go to the notorious Rikers Island while he awaits his March sentencing. His lawyers have requested he stay at North Infirmary Command, a medical facility at Rikers where inmates are given extra protection.
“When you’re a sexual predator, that’s not a good thing at all,” Frantz told Insider. “[Other inmates] don’t like that. So there is a chance violence could happen.”
Paperny agreed, saying some complexities come with being a high-profile inmate as well as a sex offender.
“If you’re a sex offender, you may deliberately choose to not form friendships with other sex offenders. This means you may have to really focus on spending time alone,” he told Insider. “Everyone knows him and people are waiting for him, both staff and prisoners. So it’s difficult for him to lay low.”
Advice to Harvey Weinstein
Frantz told Insider that Weinstein should “keep as low a profile as possible,” and avoid causing problems. He said Weinstein should be cautious of the friends he makes, and avoid talking about his case or his money.
“You don’t want to go in there and spout off, ‘I knew this famous actress,” Frantz said, adding that Weinstein shouldn’t walk in there and make himself “feel superior to everybody else.”
Through a prison consultant, Frantz said, Weinstein will learn how to deal with new situations in prison, who to talk to, what to accept from inmates, and more.
“This is a situation that he’s not used to, you know. He’s used to having control of everything and he’s going to have control of nothing,” Frantz told Insider.
Hiring such a consultant can cost anywhere from $2,000 to more than $100,000 depending on how in-depth the consultant’s role is, Paperny said.
Paperny said Weinstein should avoid complaining to his fellow inmates or guards.
“Even Harvey Weinstein has some people that still believe in supporting him. He should remember that this experience is hard on them and he should work daily to prove worthy of that love and support by not complaining, by not lamenting over how unjust it is,” he said.