What Ghislaine Maxwell's Life In Prison Is Really Like
Ghislaine Maxwell was once rubbing shoulders with the likes of Prince Andrew and the Clintons before her long-time partner, Jeffrey Epstein, was caught in a sex trafficking scheme that she helped foster. The former socialite was convicted in 2021 after she was found guilty of helping groom several underage women to be abused by Epstein. The latter was charged with sex trafficking dozens of women — some as young as 14 years old — in an undercover operation he and Maxwell headed; one that involved alleged wild orgies on his private island and paying girls in exchange for sexual favors and massages.
Epstein committed suicide by hanging himself in his jail cell just over a month after his arrest, leaving his life partner Maxwell in his wake to shoulder the brunt of the controversy. The British businesswoman was sentenced to 20 years behind bars for her part in the sex-trafficking scandal, telling (via the New York Post) the victims involved: "I hope my conviction and harsh incarceration brings you closure."
The former socialite has since traded couture gowns for a prisoner uniform as she serves time at FCI Tallahassee, a low-security prison in Florida. Maxwell and around 900 other female inmates call the prison home, complete with dorm-style housing that offers little to no comparison to the previous lavish life that her crimes afforded her. From prison checker contests to bonding with convicted murderers — here's a look at what Maxwell's life in prison is really like.
Ghislaine Maxwell struggled to adjust to life in prison
Trading in her aristocratic lifestyle for one behind bars wasn't easy for Ghislaine Maxwell. Before landing at FCI Tallahassee, the Brit was first shipped off to Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center where she spent 22 months in solitary confinement awaiting her sentencing. As reported by The Times, Maxwell logged over 100 complaints over her living conditions in Brooklyn, including being fed inedible food, being filmed in the shower without consent, and being handcuffed to a chair while watching television.
The former businesswoman's attorneys also alleged that she feared for her life after a fellow inmate threatened to strangle her in her sleep. Maxwell's attorneys claimed that she was subjected to the lights constantly turned on in her cell throughout the day and night, as well as a torch being shone in her eyes every 15 minutes to prevent her from taking her life as her former partner Jeffrey Epstein had.
Prosecutors replied to Maxwell's claims while she awaited trial, positing that she was to blame for her inadequate living conditions. In court documents obtained by Business Insider, they claimed she was asked by employees to organize her cell after it was found in a "very dirty" state. Prosecutors also stated: "Among other things, MDC staff noted that the defendant frequently did not flush her toilet after using it, which caused the cell to smell." After being sentenced to 20 years for five federal charges related to her sex trafficking crimes, Maxwell was transferred to FCI Tallahassee to serve her time.
Violence in Maxwell's prison is reportedly low
Ghislaine Maxwell is crossing paths with some dangerous people on a day-to-day basis, given her prison's population standards. According to the Zoukis Consulting Group, sex offenders and other inmates with a high likelihood of being attacked can freely mix and mingle with the rest of the female inmates. "Everybody can walk, even women who killed their children or other people's children. Nobody cares," an inmate recounted to the prison consulting group. "Nobody cares about informants either." Another respondent added, "Everyone and anyone can walk the yard."
Besides Maxwell, one of the most notable inmates walking the yard at FCI Tallahassee is terrorist Colleen LaRose, who was sentenced to 10 years after conspiring to provide material support to terrorism and other charges. According to the ZCG, a majority of inmates at the Florida prison feel the level of violence at the minimum-security prison is moderate to low at best. "There is no violence. I have never felt unsafe," one inmate reported. "Due to the inmate population's age being so young, I would peg it as a five to seven out of 10 for safety. It's not 100% safe, but the staff manages it very well," another inmate suggested.
She works at the prison library
Ghislaine Maxwell's prison hobbies include catching up on her reading. As reported by the Daily Mail, Maxwell starts her day at 5 a.m. with a humble breakfast — typically including grits, toast, or oatmeal — before she begins her prison detail. The former socialite spends six hours a day working in the prison library, where she is known to recommend the best history books and other literature to her fellow inmates.
"So far there have been no complaints about her," an insider told the publication. "She's polite, she's well behaved, she goes to work on time every day. If you ask her for a book in the library she will find whatever it is you need. The general opinion of her is that she's a nice lady."
After a rough start to her life as a convicted felon in Brooklyn, Maxwell seems to have accepted her new fate. A former inmate at FCI Tallahassee told the Daily Mail that the disgraced socialite made some positive changes. "Now she has some friends and is eating more," the insider explained. "She's bubbly, you see her smiling. She makes a point of saying good morning. You can see she's visibly more comfortable."
Maxwell keeps up with her fitness regimen
While it may not be designer dresses she's dressing in anymore, Ghislaine Maxwell has made an effort to maintain her figure since she began her 20-year-sentence. In footage captured by the Daily Mail, the former businesswoman appears to be enjoying the Florida sunshine by running multiple laps at the FCI Tallahassee's outdoor track. Before she starts her job at the prison library, Maxwell reportedly runs eight to 10 laps before reporting to work at 7 a.m.
Epstein's former partner in crime has seemingly channeled her focus into fitness, with sources telling the Mirror she challenges (and beats) younger women in races during the prison's recreation hours. At over 60 years old, Maxwell prefers to spend her time outdoors than indoors. "Ghislaine is incredibly fit," an insider revealed. "She runs almost every day, and when not jogging on the track, she will walk with one of her friends. For her age, she is incredibly active and does a [40-minute] session completing lap after lap without stopping before she needs to be back inside."
The source added that Maxwell finds freedom on the track, where she feels a little less like a prisoner. The FCI Tallahassee boasts a manicured garden, a softball pitch, as well as a basketball court for the inmates to enjoy, an upgrade from Maxwell's time at Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center. "I saw the sunlight for the first time, and I saw grass for the first time. So that was lovely," Maxwell said after arriving at the Florida prison.
She leads etiquette classes
Ghislaine Maxwell was, of course, the daughter of multi-millionaire media tycoon Robert Maxwell, whose own legacy was tarnished after incessant fraud reportedly led to his untimely death. The apple apparently didn't fall far from the tree, with Ghislaine having once been a starry-eyed socialite and going on to be a disgraced convicted felon. But her ability to rise to the top of New York's most elite social circles hasn't been lost, and the British citizen is taking her lessons in etiquette and teaching them to her fellow inmates.
"Taught by Mrs. Maxwell this course teaches the three principles of etiquette — focusing on respect, consideration, and honesty," reads the course description for her class, according to the Daily Mail. Honesty seems a contradicting concept as it relates to Ghislaine, given her previous attempts to wrap her phone in tinfoil to avoid detection amidst her looming federal charges and attempts to flee during her arrest.
Nonetheless, Ghislaine leads her etiquette classes twice a week, with her course falling under the First Step Act, which allows inmates to leave prison up to 15 days early by logging attendance during the course. "Miss Maxwell's message is, so what if you're a woman and a convicted felon, you're not a second-class citizen," said an insider. "She's an unlikely role model but she's very passionate about this." Her courses have become so popular they have been translated into Spanish for the prison's Hispanic inmates.
She still 'consistently and vehemently' maintains her innocence
Ghislaine Maxwell has continuously touted her innocence, even alleging in a January 2023 interview for TalkTv that damning evidence against her is fake. In a clip shared to X, formerly known as Twitter, Maxwell claimed that the controversial photograph featuring her, Prince Andrew, and then 17-year-old Virginia Giuffre was fake. "I don't believe it's real for a second," she claimed. "In fact, I'm sure it's not. There's never been an original, and further, there is no photograph. I've only ever seen a photocopy of it."
While Maxwell previously appeared remorseful to Jeffrey Epstein's victims, she seems to have changed her tune. At the time of her sentencing, she acknowledged her role in the sex abuse scandal, telling the court (via the New York Post), "To you, to you, all the victims who came in court and those outside I am sorry for the pain that you experienced."
However, after more shocking dispositions from Epstein's trial were publicized in 2024, Maxwell is making it clear she still believes she is innocent. "She has consistently and vehemently maintained her innocence," read a statement by her attorneys (via CNN). The former socialite has also claimed she wasn't aware of just how deranged Epstein was. "I didn't know that he was so awful," she claimed in her prison interview (via the Independent). "I mean, obviously now, looking back with hindsight, of course."
She's making friends behind bars
Ghislaine Maxwell has been making friends behind bars, and some of them reportedly include murderers and fraudsters. According to the Daily Mail, one of Maxwell's new inner circle members includes Linda Morrow, a woman who helped her plastic surgeon husband defraud up to $44 million from insurance companies by falsely billing cosmetic surgeries as medically necessary to be covered by insurance.
An article published by the Mirror claimed Maxwell has also befriended convicted killer Narcy Novack, a woman who was slapped with a life sentence after she hired a hit man to kill her millionaire husband and his mother. "Once inside, Ghislaine gravitated towards Narcy," an insider at FCI Tallahassee told the publication. "Given their ages and millionaire backgrounds, they were always destined to get on well. Together, they spend hours talking, laughing, and joking."
Novack has also helped Maxwell avoid bullying from fellow inmates, as the convicted murderer has a no-nonsense reputation. "Novak commands respect, people don't mess with her," a source revealed to the Daily Mail, adding, "Her, Ghislaine, and Linda seem to band together because they are the most high-profile prisoners here."
Her Tallahassee prison embraces the arts
The upside to Ghislaine Maxwell's Florida low-security prison is that the facility embraces numerous activities for its inmates, including art classes and musical instruments in addition to sports. Ceramics, painting, and leather courses are all available for Maxwell, according to the official prison handbook. The former businesswoman has reportedly been attending the classes along with her new friends, convicted murderer Narcy Novack and fraudster Linda Morrow. "She and Linda are learning crochet and cross stitch with Novak," an insider told the Daily Mail. "Ghislaine also likes pottery."
The British heir was also been voted by her cell block to represent them in the prison's checkers tournament. "You want the best players and she has a reputation for being smart," a source told the publication. "The winning unit gets a really good meal, chicken wings, pizza, that sort of thing. It's much better than the usual food. It's a big deal. Nobody cares what you're in for so long as you win."
Maxwell has little to no privacy
Ghislaine Maxwell no longer lives her former cushy lifestyle complete with giant mansions and enough privacy to allow her and her former partner Jeffrey Epstein to carry out their numerous criminal activities. Instead, the former socialite has traded that reality for dormitory-style cell blocks with no doors, and Maxwell and her fellow inmates at FCI Tallahassee live in four large, open rooms complete with bunk beds and small lockers to store possessions.
The little privacy resulted in prisoners bullying Maxwell upon her arrival. "People know who she is, they knew her story when she arrived," a source revealed to the Daily Mail. "Some of the girls were jeering at her, calling her a nasty old woman, saying she got what she deserved ... The units are basically like a warehouse so it's hard to escape from that."
Maxwell's friendship with Narcy Novack apparently helps her fly under the radar, as the convicted killer is seen as the top dog in her and Maxwell's cell block unit. As the block's orderly, Novack is reportedly in charge of the sleeping arrangements for herself and the 100 other inmates sharing Unit B South.
Maxwell ran her prison's half marathon race
Ghislaine Maxwell may be working out her demons on the running track. The disgraced socialite has been spotted on various occasions enjoying a morning jog at the FCI Tallahassee, but she took her hobby to the next level in February 2024 when she participated in her prison's official half marathon. According to reports, 19 inmates participated in the event that had them completing 52 laps around the barbwire-enclosed running track for a total of 13.1 miles. Her runs aren't the only thing keeping her occupied either, as she's reportedly doing yoga and Pilates classes in her free time.
Maxwell might have been blowing off some steam as she prepares for her appeal hearing in March 2024. She was previously convicted on five counts of sex trafficking for her role in recruiting girls for Epstein's scheme, but she plans to appeal those charges based on what she claimed were errors during her trial.
According to court documents obtained by Forbes, Maxwell and her legal team argue that one of her jurors was unfairly allowed to participate in the trial after being a victim of sexual abuse and did not disclose that information. They also want to attempt to prove that the former businesswoman was unfairly prosecuted due to the immense "public outrage" amidst Jeffrey Epstein's suicide.
She receives accommodations for being Jewish
Ghislaine Maxwell has had a change of faith. The convicted felon adopted her late father's Jewish faith, seemingly to get the prison benefits awarded to those practicing Judaism. The family of her father, Robert Maxwell, was Orthodox, but Ghislaine reportedly never publicly identified with the faith prior to being behind bars.
That all changed following her damning conviction when the former socialite was sent to FCI Tallahassee. Prisoners identifying with the Jewish faith are awarded more expensive Kosher meals, as well as given time off on Saturdays to observe the Sabbath. Maxwell can also excuse herself from her prison duties to observe Jewish holidays, and she's allowed to enjoy wine and grape juice in the breaking of the bread.
Journalist Silja J.A. Talvi explained to The Sun that Maxwell was contacted by the civil rights prisoner organization, Reaching Out, a group that aims to help Jewish prisoners receive their proper benefits while serving time. A spokesperson for Reaching Out released a statement saying, "Maxwell is in touch with our organization. We have and will continue to address her needs."
Maxwell may be publishing a tell-all memoir
Ghislaine Maxwell could be adding "author" to her list of accolades, which includes convicted felon and disgraced socialite. According to the Daily Mail, a tell-all book may be in the works regarding the "misinformation" she believes exists around her relationship with the late Jeffrey Epstein as well as the billionaire's former associates. The report came following the bombshell court documents that named several high-profile celebrities who were said to be a part of the financier's sex trafficking ring. A-listers — such as Prince Andrew and former presidents Donald Trump and Bill Clinton – were mentioned in the documents.
Sources told the publication that Maxwell has been advising other inmates not to believe the reports and hoped to dispel any hearsay by writing a memoir to expose the truth. The insider said Maxwell claims "the documents in the news are all false or misinformation" and "the truth will only come out when her book does." The former businesswoman reportedly hopes to clear her name and that a book could help throw out the many charges against her.
Maxwell has been working in the legal library for her prison detail, where she allegedly keeps a copy of the manuscript. While she's prohibited from accepting a publishing deal, she can technically mail a private manuscript to a family or friend who can release it for her. "Apparently it's already finished but she is waiting for the right moment to publish it," the source revealed.