Life as Teresa Giudice knows it has officially come to an end.
In the early morning hours of Monday, Jan. 5, the famed table-flipping “Real Housewives of New Jersey” star, 42, entered a minimum-security prison in Danbury, Conn., to begin serving a 15-month sentence, according to NJ.com.
The television star pleaded guilty to bankruptcy fraud, conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud and failure to pay taxes in March.
Despite a bleak future wearing a khaki uniform, Giudice is well prepared for her prison stint, her former crisis manager Wendy Feldman tells Page Six, detailing the mother of four’s first day inside.
“You must bring your driver’s license,” explained the 50-year-old prison expert. “You’re allowed to bring your wedding ring (a plain metal band). A religious necklace. Legal paperwork if you have any. Your list of medications. Pictures. And that’s it.”
The usually glamorous and over-the-top Bravo fixture will be allowed makeup at the facility made famous by the Netflix show “Orange Is the New Black.” However, Giudice will have to part ways with some of her extensions.
Feldman, who served time behind bars herself, says that upon entering, Giudice will be booked again and another photo, which will never be released, will be taken.
“A doctor will do a very minor Q&A and go over any other medications and things she’s gonna need while she’s there,” explained Feldman. “They do not really hand out medications there unless you need blood pressure things. Other than that, you’re out of luck.”
From there, Giudice will perform a number of uncomfortable acts. “They’ll make her pee in a cup,” Feldman detailed. “They will strip-search her. They will make her cough and squat to make sure she’s not holding contraband.”
“That’s sort of a humiliating experience,” Feldman emphasized. “But I have talked to her about that. I tell everybody that last four seconds is no big deal.”
Giudice will be given a housing assignment in a cubicle, a far cry from her $4 million Montville, New Jersey, mansion. The reality TV fixture’s first few days will be busy with orientation, as well as receiving a job assignment.
According to Feldman’s blog, “Notes from an Insider,” Giudice will not be given an opportunity to choose her job. “You do not get to decide unless you have a college degree and can be useful teaching. Teresa does not,” she writes. “So likely jobs will be dishes, bathrooms etc. … Factory jobs are rare.”
When asked if Giudice’s famous hot-head persona will cause her trouble behind bars, Feldman feels confident that it won’t. “If the women push her buttons, they wouldn’t do it immediately,” Feldman told Page Six, noting that punishments can result in loss of privileges for the inmates involved. “If Teresa wants to start trouble, that’ll be up to Teresa. But the other women usually don’t … the behavior in there is usually pretty good.”
Visitation will be Giudice’s only opportunity to see her husband of 15 years, Joe, 42, who was sentenced to 41 months behind bars and faces possible deportation, and four young daughters: Gia, 13, Gabrielle, 10, Milania, 8, and Audriana, 5.
“I believe she’ll have her children visit her and there’s a lot of controversy about that,” said Feldman, explaining that visitation is restricted to Saturday and Sunday, including federal holidays, between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. “A lot of people have said that it’s unfair to the children. I disagree. I think that it’s a very long time to be away from children. I think the children will benefit from visiting her and will learn from it. The children will be fine.”
Visitation isn’t nearly as uncomfortable as some make it out to be. “There will be no glass,” explained Feldman, who said visitors will be allowed within the first two weeks. “The children can sit on her lap. It’s not scary for them. I know this sounds odd to people, it will be a different environment and the first time will be very sad, but it’s better than not seeing her. I hope that they do see her. I think that they will absolutely want to see her and she will want to see them.”
Giudice’s prison term will be an opportunity to change her life. However, Feldman warns it’s completely up to the inmate.
“When she’s laying on the top bunk of a metal bed and she digs in her soul and goes, ‘What the hell am I doing here?’ and she’s still blaming other people, there’s no likelihood of it changing,” Feldman insisted. “If she goes, ‘Wow, I made some mistakes and I’m going to make it right,’ then she can change.”
A request for comment from Giudice’s rep was not immediately returned.