Surviving Prison for Jodi Arias will be mostly done alone

PHOENIX -- Convicted murderer Jodi Arias has big plans for life in prison.

Arias shared them with the jury on Tuesday.

"In prison there are programs I can start and people that I can help and programs that I can participate in," Arias told jurors.

According to Barrett Marson, who once worked for the Arizona Department of Corrections (DOC), Arias doesn't have a clue what she's talking about.

"It's not like here at Sheriff Joe's jail. She will not be mixing with the inmates very much," said Marson.

During most of Arias' four years in the Maricopa County Jail she was housed with 32 other inmates and allowed to mingle with them for several hours a day.

Just recently she was moved to a maximum security cell in the jail and can no longer talk to other inmates.

Arias also told the jury she wants to teach other prison inmates how to read.

"I would like to start a book club or reading group," Arias said. She then went on to say, "If I get permission I would like to implement a recycling program."

Marson told 3TV the Perryville Women’s Prison, where Arias is heading to already, have both a recycling program and several books clubs.

Marson said Arias won’t get out her cell much because she will be a maximum security inmate or a death row inmate.

If sentenced to life in prison it would be several years before she can talk to other inmates and that's if she's proved to be a model inmate.

Andrew Wilder with the AZ DOC sent us this statement when we asked about Arias’ proposed prison programs.

"There are so many variables that prevent a simple explanation. But it's perhaps best to understand that, either way, an inmate would begin their sentence at a maximum-custody level -- which is a highly-restricted experience. For example, meals are served in the cell, as are phone calls, visitation is non-contact, recreation time and their ability to interact with other inmates is highly limited.

Only after a period of several years, along with a clean record of demonstrated model behavior, mental health, security, and other considerations, could an inmate even potentially work their way to a level of lower custody that would result in fewer restrictions (group recreation, shared cell, in-complex work opportunities, etc). Again, such possibilities would only come at a time far down the road," said Wilder.

http://www.azfamily.com/news/The-truth-behind-Jodi-Arias-grand-plans-for-prison-208611471.html