
Source: Gilbert Carrasquillo / Getty
Disgraced comedian Bill Cosby‘s fall from grace has been of epic proportions, cemented by his three- to 10-year prison sentence on Tuesday for drugging and sexually assaulting a woman in 2004. In less than 12 hours, the formerly beloved celebrity went from living in the lap of his luxurious mansion in suburban Philadelphia to being handcuffed and remanded to prison straight from the courtroom.
He spent his first night in prison behind the walls of State Correctional Institution (SCI) Phoenix, which wasn’t too far from the Norristown, Pennsylvania, courthouse in which he was convicted in April and ultimately sentenced. The correctional facility is a state of the art construction that only opened in July, according to its website. Cosby, now forever known as a “sexually violent predator,” was ordered mandatory lifetime treatment for being a sex offender. Considering that, SCI Phoenix may have been a good fit for him since it offers a “Residential Treatment Unit” and “a Therapeutic Community,” among other rehabilitation programs.
But after a couple of days there, or maybe sooner, Cosby was expected to be transferred to SCI Laurel Highlands, all the way on the other side of the state closer to Pittsburgh. And while prisons are never a desirable place to end up, Cosby, who is 81-years-old and legally blind with other reported health issues, may be pretty comfortable in the Somerset, Pennsylvania, prison, all things considered.
“SCI Laurel Highlands serves as the Commonwealth’s provider to inmates with special needs; namely, long-term care, personal care, wheelchair, dialysis and geriatric inmates,” according to its website. In other words, while the prison does have general population inmates, any concerns for Cosby’s safety while there are probably overblown, to say the least.
The contrast between Cosby’s living situation on Tuesday morning to what it was Tuesday night and what it will be moving forward is jarring, to say the least. But some folks may not feel any sadness for Cosby, who apparently lived a life of sin over the course of many decades without being held accountable. Now, he’s serving an arguably light sentence in a prison that caters to elderly and infirmed inmates.
When he gets out, he will still return to a fortune estimated at hundreds of millions of dollars that dwarf his growing lawyer fees. Things could be a lot worse for him, considering the offense.
See the images from inside Bill Cosby’s newest and potentially future homes, SCIs Phoenix and Laurel Highlands.
1. SCI Phoenix Prison
.@CorrectionsPA says Bill Cosby will stay at SCI Phoenix in Skippack, Montgomery County to serve his 3-10 year prison sentence. DOC says “He is being housed in a single cell in a unit adjacent to the infirmary.” @KYWNewsradio pic.twitter.com/8LZlOZ75Db
— Jim Melwert (@JMelwert) September 26, 2018
2. SCI Phoenix Prison
“Our quest to create a humane space where we can bring about positive change and keep communities safe.” - Rev. Ulli Klemm. SCI Phoenix dedication. pic.twitter.com/CiGrwDFHGz
— PA Department of Corrections (@CorrectionsPA) June 2, 2018
3. Cosby’s prison mates at SCI Phoenix
The move from Graterford to Phoenix has resumed. Here's a picture from 7/14/18. Inmates moving into the west side of the facility - SCI Phoenix has East & West sides separated by centrally-shared areas - food services, work, education, treatment, etc. pic.twitter.com/saM9QwmCH5
— PA Department of Corrections (@CorrectionsPA) July 15, 2018
4. SCI Phoenix Prison
5. SCI Phoenix Prison
This is where Bill Cosby is spending his first night in prison, SCI Phoenix. It opened recently and replaced Graterford in Montgomery County. @KYWNewsradio pic.twitter.com/Nk92nsnRdU
— Jim Melwert (@JMelwert) September 26, 2018
6. SCI Phoenix Prison
This is where Bill Cosby is going to prison Bill Cosby will serve three to 10 years for sexual assault at SCI Phoenix in Pennsylvania. Here's a look inside the maximum-security prison. https://t.co/E2A5xn3ezF #Video #USRC pic.twitter.com/zLrHvTHwkC
— Top U.S. & World News🗽 (@USRealityCheck) September 26, 2018
7. SCI Phoenix Prison
Good morning from SCI Phoenix, the state prison in eastern Pennsylvania where inmate William Henry Cosby spent the night.
— Aaron Franco (@AFrancoTX) September 26, 2018
Prison officials tell us he got a jumpsuit, blanket, sheets and a hygiene kit just like every other inmate. #CosbySentencing pic.twitter.com/qXA0qzTq3Y
8. SCI Phoenix Prison
Outside SCI Phoenix where Bill Cosby is being held. Next live hit is at 7:24. @phl17 #tv #news #cosby #trial #philly pic.twitter.com/4vD4dbDzk7
— Khiree Stewart (@khireephl17) September 26, 2018
9. SCI Phoenix Prison
I’m at SCI Phoenix where Bill Cosby is spending his first night as a convicted sex-offender. Prison staff tell me he’s finishing up his dinner of baked meatballs with rice, whipped potatoes, green beans and gravy. #CosbySentencing #cosbysentence #Cosby @NBCPhiladelphia pic.twitter.com/uVkkLqMXHm
— Denise Nakano (@NakanoDenise) September 26, 2018
10. SCI Laurel Highlands Prison

(Original Caption) Somerset, Pennsylvania: Laurel Highlands Prison Inside The Geriatric Wheelchair Ward. (Photo by mark peterson/Corbis via Getty Images)
11. SCI Laurel Highlands Prison

Somerset, Pennsylvania: Opened in July 1996, SCI Laurel Highlands is a minimum-security institution for men. It is a former state psychiatric hospital that was retrofitted to a prison in 1996. The facility has a separate housing unit for older and/or geriatric male inmates. It has its own dialysis unit, and takes care of other inmates’ substantial health care requirements that traditional facilities cannot meet easily. Laurel Highlands is also able to keep the elderly population relatively safe and free from problems or abuse they might otherwise experience in a general population facility. (Photo by mark peterson/Corbis via Getty Images)
12. Barbed Wire Fencing Outside SCI Laurel Highlands Prison

Somerset, Pennsylvania: Opened in July 1996, SCI Laurel Highlands is a minimum-security institution for men. It is a former state psychiatric hospital that was retrofitted to a prison in 1996. The facility has a separate housing unit for older and/or geriatric male inmates. It has its own dialysis unit, and takes care of other inmates’ substantial health care requirements that traditional facilities cannot meet easily. Laurel Highlands is also able to keep the elderly population relatively safe and free from problems or abuse they might otherwise experience in a general population facility. (Photo by mark peterson/Corbis via Getty Images)
13. SCI Laurel Highlands Prison

Somerset, Pennsylvania: Opened in July 1996, SCI Laurel Highlands is a minimum-security institution for men. It is a former state psychiatric hospital that was retrofitted to a prison in 1996. The facility has a separate housing unit for older and/or geriatric male inmates. It has its own dialysis unit, and takes care of other inmates’ substantial health care requirements that traditional facilities cannot meet easily. Laurel Highlands is also able to keep the elderly population relatively safe and free from problems or abuse they might otherwise experience in a general population facility. (Photo by mark peterson/Corbis via Getty Images)
14. SCI Laurel Highlands Prison Inmate Using a Walker

Somerset, Pennsylvania: Opened in July 1996, SCI Laurel Highlands is a minimum-security institution for men. It is a former state psychiatric hospital that was retrofitted to a prison in 1996. The facility has a separate housing unit for older and/or geriatric male inmates. It has its own dialysis unit, and takes care of other inmates’ substantial health care requirements that traditional facilities cannot meet easily. Laurel Highlands is also able to keep the elderly population relatively safe and free from problems or abuse they might otherwise experience in a general population facility. (Photo by mark peterson/Corbis via Getty Images)
15. SCI Laurel Highlands Prison Prison Guard in Hallway

Somerset, Pennsylvania: Opened in July 1996, SCI Laurel Highlands is a minimum-security institution for men. It is a former state psychiatric hospital that was retrofitted to a prison in 1996. The facility has a separate housing unit for older and/or geriatric male inmates. It has its own dialysis unit, and takes care of other inmates’ substantial health care requirements that traditional facilities cannot meet easily. Laurel Highlands is also able to keep the elderly population relatively safe and free from problems or abuse they might otherwise experience in a general population facility. (Photo by mark peterson/Corbis via Getty Images)
16. Wheelchair Bound Prisoner Gazing Across SCI Laurel Highlands Prison Yard

Somerset, Pennsylvania: Opened in July 1996, SCI Laurel Highlands is a minimum-security institution for men. It is a former state psychiatric hospital that was retrofitted to a prison in 1996. The facility has a separate housing unit for older and/or geriatric male inmates. It has its own dialysis unit, and takes care of other inmates’ substantial health care requirements that traditional facilities cannot meet easily. Laurel Highlands is also able to keep the elderly population relatively safe and free from problems or abuse they might otherwise experience in a general population facility. (Photo by mark peterson/Corbis via Getty Images)
17. Older Prisoner in Hospital Room at SCI Laurel Highlands Prison

Somerset, Pennsylvania: Opened in July 1996, SCI Laurel Highlands is a minimum-security institution for men. It is a former state psychiatric hospital that was retrofitted to a prison in 1996. The facility has a separate housing unit for older and/or geriatric male inmates. It has its own dialysis unit, and takes care of other inmates’ substantial health care requirements that traditional facilities cannot meet easily. Laurel Highlands is also able to keep the elderly population relatively safe and free from problems or abuse they might otherwise experience in a general population facility. (Photo by mark peterson/Corbis via Getty Images)
18. Older Prisoners in Wheelchairs at SCI Laurel Highlands Prison

Somerset, Pennsylvania: Opened in July 1996, SCI Laurel Highlands is a minimum-security institution for men. It is a former state psychiatric hospital that was retrofitted to a prison in 1996. The facility has a separate housing unit for older and/or geriatric male inmates. It has its own dialysis unit, and takes care of other inmates’ substantial health care requirements that traditional facilities cannot meet easily. Laurel Highlands is also able to keep the elderly population relatively safe and free from problems or abuse they might otherwise experience in a general population facility. (Photo by mark peterson/Corbis via Getty Images)
19. SCI Laurel Highlands Prison
Informative tour at Laurel Highlands SCI today with Judiciary Committee pic.twitter.com/4HbzFVZp36
— Sheryl M. Delozier (@RepDelozier) August 10, 2016
20. SCI Laurel Highlands Prison
Staff at @CorrectionsPA SCI Laurel Highlands planted this tree in honor of #NCVRW2016 to honor #victims. pic.twitter.com/PrmRsDUZnM
— PA Office of Victim Advocate (@PAVictimsOffice) April 18, 2016