Felicity Huffman was released two days early in her 14-day sentence for her participation in the college admissions scandal and an expert shared why the actress is no longer behind bars.
Felicity Huffman was a free woman once again when she walked out of the Federal Correction Institution in Dublin, CA, on Oct. 25. The 56-year-old actress began serving her 14-day sentence on Oct. 15 for her part in the college admissions scandal and was scheduled to be released on Oct. 27. However, the former Desperate Housewives star was released two days early due to a stipulation in the federal guidelines.
Joseph B. Simons, Massachusetts state criminal attorney, EXCLUSIVELY told HollywoodLife that “Prisons often prefer to release inmates during the week. There is a provision that allows for someone to be released on a Friday, if their release is scheduled for a weekend. In Felicity Huffman’s case, her release is scheduled for Sunday, October 27, 2019. Holding her until Monday (Oct. 28) would be unlawful, so releasing her today allows the prison to process her release on a weekday.”
A representative from the Federal Bureau of Prisons confirmed this information with HollywoodLife and said in a statement: “Felicity Huffman released from the custody of the Bureau of Prisons today, October 25, 2019, per BOP Program Statement 5140.36 ‘Release of Inmates Prior to a Weekend or Legal Holiday’. They also directed us to their website which further clarified, “The Bureau of Prisons may release an inmate whose release date falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, on the last preceding weekday unless it is necessary to detain the inmate for another jurisdiction seeking custody under a detainer, or for any other reason which might indicate that the inmate should not be released until the inmate’s scheduled release date.]”
As we previously reported, although Huffman’s deadline to turn herself in for her sentence wasn’t until Oct. 25, a source EXCLUSIVELY told HollywoodLife that she turned herself in early because she was “looking forward to putting this whole ordeal behind her.” The insider also noted that her family – husband William H. Macy, 69, and daughters Sophia Macy, 19, and Georgia Macy, 17 – is why she reported to prison so soon after her sentencing. “She really wanted to finish her prison stay before the holidays approached. She can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel and just wants to move forward for the sake of her family.”
Felicity began her prison stint one month after she was sentenced for conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest service mail fraud. She pleaded guilty to the charges in May, admitting that she paid $15,000 so that someone could proctor and correct Sophia’s college board test, resulting in the PSAT score jumping up 400 points.