Unjustly convicted and imprisoned January 6 defendant Stewart Parks told The Tennessee Star on Thursday that his request to transfer to the minimum security satellite camp at FCI Memphis was denied despite intervention by Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) and his congressional colleagues.
Parks called Michael Patrick Leahy, the editor-in-chief of The Star, and the two had a brief phone conversation Thursday morning before the phone system at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) in Memphis automatically disconnected the call after just five minutes.
“Stewart also informed me the prison has been on lockdown since March 22 and they just released the lockdown this morning,” Leahy revealed. “He has no information, officially, as to why the lockdown occurred.”
According to Parks, rumors circulating among inmates at FCI Memphis include theories the prison is “having difficulties with drugs being smuggled” or the facility lacks enough staff members to adequately guard the inmates.
FCI Memphis has an established smuggling problem stretching back more than a decade, with news reports last year indicating the facility was overwhelmed with illicit smartphones.
Parks explained to Leahy that his request to be transferred to a minimum security camp was officially denied, with prison staff citing his short, eight-month sentence.
“His case worker told him that the reason it has been denied is because his sentence is not long enough, they claim he can only be considered for that minimum security camp if his sentence is over 18 months,” said Leahy, relaying his Thursday morning conversation with Parks.
Both the lockdown and decision to keep Parks at FCI Memphis follow a March 20 letter, sent by Representatives Matt Gaetz (R-FL-01), Andy Biggs (R-AZ-05) and Ogles to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, which demanded Parks be moved to the prison’s minimum security camp.
While Parks is currently expected to remain at FCI Memphis, he did inform Leahy that his prison case worker suggested he will be eligible for release to a Nashville halfway house two months before the end of his eight-month sentence.
This would place his release of Parks to a halfway house sometime in early August, and Parks told The Star that paperwork has been filed and his caseworker was optimistic the halfway house option would be granted.
Parks also told Leahy that he has reason to expect U.S. District Amit P. Mehta, who presided over his case, “may issue an order to reduce his sentence from eight months to six months.”
Though Stewart did not have time to elaborate, it is possible he was referencing the March court ruling that determined the sentences of more than 100 January 6 defendants were calculated improperly.
Stewart did not speculate, but if his sentence is reduced to six months, he could be eligible for release to a halfway house as early as June.
Parks also told Leahy he is being treated well by his fellow prisoners and guards at FCI Memphis. He also revealed that he has been given a mattress for his cell, which Leahy explained Parks told him allows him to “to sleep better at night.”
Leahy relayed, “He is safe, and he does not see that he is at risk of personal harm.”
– – –
Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Georgia Star News, The Virginia Star, and the Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Stewart Parks” by Stewart Parks.Â
