Why Julie and Todd Chrisley Believe Their Lives Now Are ‘Rougher Than Prison’

Todd Chrisley and his wife Julie Chrisley are opening up about the struggle of re-acclimating to life outside of prison.

On the July 23 episode of the couple’s podcast Chrisley Confessions 2.0, the pair  — who were pardoned by President Donald Trump and released from prison in May — discussed the difficulties of transitioning back to regular life after 28 months behind bars.

“I’ve actually talked to a few of the women that I was in prison with that [that are] already home,” Julie, 52, said. “And we all have this general consensus that — it’s kind of weird to even say it…”

“No, it’s not weird,” Todd, 56, interjected. “Life is rougher than prison life. I mean, that’s a sad thing to say because it is so horrific, the conditions that you’re there for but that’s from a physical standpoint, but from an emotional and psychological standpoint, it is harder dealing with day to day.”

Julie explained that inmates “don’t have any control” while behind bars.

“There’s very little you can do because you’re in prison… And people told me this when I first got there, you can’t live out there and in here at the same time because it’ll literally run you crazy,” she said.

“And the longer you’re there, the more removed you become to the world,” she continued.

Julie also reflected on her own experience being away from children Savannah, Grayson, Chase and Chloe.

“The longer that people are away from their kids, as crazy as it sounds — because it’s a double edged sword — the easier it becomes because you get into your own routine,” she said.

“It doesn’t mean you don’t miss them, you don’t love ‘em, all that but just from me being in prison, I had to just watch out for me,” she recalled. “I had to take care of me. I had to make sure that I was good, as good as I could be. Physically, mentally, spiritually, emotionally, and that’s all I could really do.” 

“I think you get into that mode because that’s how you kind of have to do to survive in there and so coming back and I think for us, listen, it was such a blessing to be able to come out and have a full unconditional pardon,” she said.

After Todd thanked President Trump, Julie continued, “We didn’t have to go to a halfway house. So, we don’t have to answer to a probation officer. We’re not limited as to where we can go and how we can move. So, I think we were thrown right back into the real world.”

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The pardons from President Trump put an end to a legal saga which led to the pair being indicted on 12 counts of bank and wired fraud, tax evasion and conspiracy, and later convicted and sentenced to a combined 19 years in prison in November 2022 (though that number was reduced by around two years each in September 2023).

They immediately began appealing their case, and while Todd’s appeal was upheld, Julie’s was initially granted due to insufficient evidence. However, a judge later ruled that her original punishment was sufficient.