District judge proposes Elizabeth Holmes serve sentence at Texas federal prison camp

Yahoo Finance legal correspondent Alexis Keenan outlines the sentencing proposals a district judge has recommended for Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes, suggesting she serve her sentence in Federal Prison Camp Bryan in Texas.

Video Transcript

RACHELLE AKUFFO: We now have an idea of where disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes may be spending her more than 11 years in prison. Yahoo Finance's Alexis Keenan is here to tell us about it. So, Alexis, what prison is the judge recommending?

ALEXIS KEENAN: Hi, Rachelle. Yeah, so this has got to be difficult news for Elizabeth Holmes, paging through the handbook for this facility. The judge has recommended a place called FPC Bryan, also known as a federal prison camp. It's a minimum security facility. It's located in Texas, and it's exclusively for women who are non-violent offenders. Now this Bryan facility is roughly 100 miles northwest of Houston. It sits on 37 acres. It offers things like family visitation.

Of note, Holmes is pregnant with her second child, due to give birth. Also offers college level education, and it requires that inmates work. Also requires inmates to do things like sweep the floor, mop the floor, make their beds, take out the trash, and also has a wake up time of 6:00 AM. There's no civilian clothing allowed generally in the facility. And regular visits happen only on the weekend and on federal holidays.

Now, personal items here must be kept to a minimum, though things like family photos can be kept by inmates. It's on the list of permissible items. Holmes has been ordered to submit to custody on April 27, though it's widely expected that she will file an appeal and request to remain free pending the court's decision. Rachelle, Dave.

DAVE BRIGGS: Yeah, what do we know about that appeal, and how does it factor into where she does stay?

ALEXIS KEENAN: Yeah, so what is expected to happen is that she must file her appeal within 14 days. So we're watching for that over the course of the next week and a half. And that's 14 days from her sentence. That would take us to December 1. Holmes can make the request. It has to go first to Judge Davila, who handed down her sentence. It's first up to him.

If he says no, that she must report to custody regardless of an appeal, she can then make an appeal to the Ninth Circuit's Court of Appeals and ask for their permission to remain free. It will then be up to them. Still, though, an appeal could take years. Those cases take a long time to work their way through the court.

So a lot at stake for Elizabeth Holmes here. And certainly, after an 11-year sentence was handed down, she must be thinking a lot about potentially spending over a decade in this facility. Guys.