(NewsNation) — NewsNation got an exclusive look inside Idaho’s maximum security prison, where Bryan Kohberger could spend the rest of his life.
Kohberger is expected to be sentenced to life in prison Wednesday after accepting a plea deal to avoid the death penalty for murdering four University of Idaho students in 2022.
NewsNation’s Brian Entin visited the Idaho Maximum Security Institution on Tuesday, 25 minutes south of Boise, to see the conditions Idaho’s most violent criminals live in.
Should Kohberger be sent to the supermax prison, he could end up in long-term, restricted housing and what’s known as closed and protective custody. This type of housing is meant for prisoners who could be hurt by inmates in general population, or who could hurt others.
Those inmates spend 23 hours a day inside their cells, with food and water fed through doors into their cells. When Entin was in the cellblock, he saw inmates doing something called fishing, which is when they use strings from blankets or a T-shirt to send notes under their door.
Jail staff have tried to stop them from passing the notes by placing bean bags at the foot of the doors.
They are allowed to sit at tables outside their cell but are either cuffed to the table or placed inside a cage, where they can use tablets for visitation.
Most inmates can buy a tablet to have in their cell for $100 that contains music, email, and movies, and they can also buy a TV, which has basic cable.
Prisoners get an hour outside each day in a courtyard surrounded by cement, but some inmates are placed in cages in the outdoor area because they are so dangerous.
Cells inside the Idaho Maximum Security Institution Inmates spend 23 hours a day inside their cells, with food and water fed through doors into their cells. They are allowed to sit at tables outside their cell but are either cuffed to the table or placed inside a cage, where they can use tablets for visitation. Most inmates can buy a tablet to have in their cell for $100 that contains music, email, and movies, and they can also buy a TV, which has basic cable. When Entin was in the cellblock, he saw inmates doing something called fishing, which is when they use strings from blankets or a T-shirt to send notes under their door. Prisoners get an hour outside each day in a courtyard surrounded by cement, but some inmates are placed in cages in the outdoor area because they are so dangerous. An outdoor cage at the Idaho Maximum Security Institution
Some inmates may also get time in the library or computer lab.
Sexual offenders and murderers of young women and children can be especially at risk of being attacked by other inmates inside the supermax prison, which could be an issue for a high-profile inmate like Kohberger.
However, NewsNation learned that after their initial arrival, most inmates begin to fit in.