A look inside the prison that will house PG Sittenfeld

Former Cincinnati Councilman P.G. Sittenfeld was sentenced to 16 months in prison for bribery and attempted extortion. Sittenfeld's date to report to prison is Jan. 2, and he will be admitted to Federal Correction Institution Ashland, a federal prison in Ashland, Kentucky.

Here's what the Enquirer learned about the facility, after reviewing the Board of Prisons website, the prison's orientation manual and a report on conditions in the facility by the bureau published last January

When was FCI Ashland Built?

The prison first opened its doors in 1940. The Lexington Herald wrote in 1941 that Ashland was "one of a chain of prisons recommended by a congressional committee which investigated overcrowded federal penitentiaries several years ago." It cost $1.5 million to construct, which would be about $31.8 million today.

Who is housed there?

FCI Ashland holds only male inmates, who range in age from 20 to 81. Originally used to house 600 short-term male offenders, the number of inmates has grown to 1,303.

Those inmates are overseen by a staff of 279. The facility is made up of 36 buildings, 16 of which are used to house inmates.

What kind of inmates are housed there?

Ashland is a minimum-security prison, with a minimum-security camp connected to it. Many of the prisoners serve short-term sentences or are nearing the end of their sentences at regional prisons.

The camp, known as a Satellite Prison Camp, provides inmate labor for the main facility and funnels prisoners into off-site work programs.

What are the conditions like?

FCI Ashland was included on the Forbes Magazine list of "10 cushiest prisons," published in 2009. Its orientation handbook gives greater insight into daily life for inmates.

Inmates are expected to wake up at 6 a.m., make their own beds and sweep and mop their cell floors. All toothbrushes, toothpaste and soap are provided by the prison.

All inmates are expected to maintain a regular job assignment, which includes working in the cafeteria, maintenance shops or factories operated by Federal Prison Industries, a state-owned company that employs and trains prisoners.

What's the cell layout?

Ashland cell design includes two-person cells, two-person dorms and cubicles that can hold two to six people.

What clothes can inmates wear?

All inmates must wear the prison-issued khaki pants and shirt, which they are expected to keep in "clean and neat condition."

What actions are prohibited in FCI Ashland?

Acts prohibited for inmates range from rioting to creating hazardous tools to using narcotics, with punishments being as minimal as extra duty to forfeiting parole.

What recreational activities does FCI Ashland provide?

Inmates are also provided a variety of recreational activities, like arts and crafts programs, wellness programs, music programs and religious services. The facility also offers a barber shop and a library for law books.

Has FCI Ashland received any criticism?

The Daily Independent, a newspaper in Ashland, Kentucky, spoke to the families of FCI Ashland inmates in December 2020. Family members spoke about the spread of COVID-19 among inmates, food shortages and suppressing negative information before it could reach outsiders.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons conducted a review of the facility from November 2-4, 2021, interviewing 33 staff members and 44 inmates. Released in January 2022, the report found three cases of staff-on-inmate sexual misconduct, and four inmate-on-inmate instances.

What famous inmates have stayed in FCI Ashland?

In the 83 years of FCI Ashland's existence, it has housed several high-profile inmates. They include:

• Doug Evans: Owner of Evans Landscaping, Evans was given a 21-month prison sentence for minority contracting fraud, using a shell company to win contracts from the state and city of Cincinnati. He was released in 2021.

• Paul Miller: Known by his alias GypsyCrusader, Miller was a white supremacist who was convicted of three felony weapons offenses and sentenced to 41 months in prison. He was released earlier this year.

• Mark Ciavarella: Formerly the president judge of the Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Ciavarella was sentenced in 2011 to 28 years for his role in the Kids for Cash scandal.

• David Kernell: A hacker, Kernell was convicted of obstruction of justice and unauthorized access to a computer in 2010 for hacking into Sarah Palin's email account. He was sentenced to one year in prison and was released in 2011.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: PG Sittenfeld sentenced to Federal Correction Institute Ashland