Bill Cosby was moved to a general population unit as he continues to serve his three- to 10-year prison term charges related to sexual assault.
According to WHYY, Cosby, 81, who is legally blind, was moved last week at SCI-Phoenix prison center into a single-occupancy cell. Because of Cosby’s age and legal blindness, other inmates have been helping him with tasks on a daily basis.
Inmates in Cosby’s block have an option to buy a television or tablet and are allowed time in an exercise yard or library.
Cosby’s cell away from the general population was meant to help him adjust to prison life more easily and to ensure his safety in jail. Celebrities like Cosby are commonly separated from general populations in order to diffuse any potential incidents that can happen between them and other inmates.
Cosby was known for generations as being one of America’s most beloved entertainers. A career that began with comedy saw him quickly rise to Hollywood’s forefront thanks to a benevolent image and disuse of harsh language while making people laugh.
Cosby’s hit sitcom “The Cosby Show” brought the Philadelphia native attention as a kind family man and played an integral in shifting the way black families were depicted on television.
Because of his congenial image, Cosby’s fall from grace for sex crimes has been a swift and dramatic one. In April 2018, Cosby was convicted of three counts of sexual assault and allegedly has sexually assaulted 50 women over the last several decades.
Cosby’s conviction has come in the wake of the #MeToo movement. #MeToo has served as a way for men and women who have been victims of sexual abuse to speak out against their abusers and get justice. Other notable figures in Hollywood like entertainment mogul Harvey Weinstein have also faced activism from people that they allegedly abused.
