Although the current COVID-19 protocols at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) have greatly limited staff access to various parts of the facility, we were finally able to get an on-the-scene report on how Clare Bronfman is adapting to prison life.
MK10ART painting of MDC
Not surprisingly, she has been keeping a very low profile – and, thus far, has not had any disciplinary issues with the guards and/or any confrontations with other prisoners.
In large part, that’s because she has been under the protective wing of a woman who has been described as “a 5’7’’ 200#, mid-50s Yenta” who has taken on the multiple roles of friend, guide and protector for the former Director of Operations for the NXIVM criminal enterprise.
Although some guards believe that Clare is likely paying for these services, they also report that the same woman provides similar services for another 4-5 female prisoners at the prison.
Clare Bronfman
The group of women – all of whom are White and apparently of Jewish heritage – have been described as “inseparable” and tend to spend all their time together away from the other prisoners in their unit.
Somewhat surprisingly, Clare was moved into the general population of female prisoners in MDC’s East Tower as soon as she cleared the 14-day COVID-19 isolation period for new arrivals.
Unlike Ghislaine Maxwell – who is being held in a “onesie” cell in a separate unit at MDC and who is being subjected to a variety of strange protocols (e.g., having someone check on her breathing every 15 minutes) – Clare is simply subject to the same basic regimen and routine as all the other prisoners at the facility.
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Daily Regimen & Routine
That means she’s awakened at 6:00 AM on weekdays – and 7:00 AM on weekend days for breakfast.
She also has lunch at 11:00 AM during the week – and brunch during the weekend as soon as the 10:00 AM “Count” has cleared (Prisoners have to be standing aside their bunks for each scheduled “Count”).
Dinner is served on all days after the 4:00 PM “Count” has been completed.
And it’s “lights out” every night as soon as the 10:00 PM “Count” has cleared.
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Job Status
We have not yet been able to determine if Clare has already been given a job assignment – but MDC often holds off doing so until it has determined how long a prisoner will be at the facility.
If she ends up staying at MDC for her entire prison term, Clare will most likely end up working in the Kitchen or the Laundry Room.
Either way, she’ll start out earning Grade 4 pay – which is $0.12 per hour. Thereafter, depending on her specific job assignments and how well she completes them, she can advance to Grade 3: $0.17/hour, Grade 2: $0.29 per hour, and Grade 1: $0.40 per hour.
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Health & Fitness
As hard as it is to contemplate, observers report that Clare has lost a considerable amount of weight since she arrived at MDC on September 30th.
In part, that’s because she has been maintaining a vegetarian diet – which in BOP parlance is referred to as the “No Flesh Diet”.
Typical prison meal for those on the “No Flesh Diet”.
In reality, that means that Clare has been basically subsisting on bread, fruit and rice – and whatever “protein substitute” MDC happens to provide in her lunch and dinner meals.
One observer also indicated that Clare’s hair has started to fall out – which is not unusual for female prisoners at MDC.
Somehow, the combination of no sunlight, poor ventilation, crappy food, and lack of exercise has that effect on many women.
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What’s Next For Clare?
Clare’s attorneys have asked – and U.S. District Court Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis has recommended – that Clare be sent to the BOP facility in Danbury, CT.
FCI Danbury, CT
But where Clare actually ends up spending the rest of her remaining time in prison is entirely at the discretion of the BOP.
Unless she is successful in getting her original sentence reduced on appeal, Clare will be imprisoned for about another 67 months (It is possible that she will be allowed to serve her last 3-6 months at a Halfway House).
And unlike her mentor, Keith Raniere, who has a group of advocates attempting to get his conviction overturned, no one has spoken out on behalf of Clare since the day she was unceremoniously led from the courtroom by a group of U.S. Marshals on the day of her sentencing hearing, September 30, 2020.
The NXIVM 5 are attempting to get Keith Raniere’s conviction overturned.
Thus, her fate is pretty much in the hands of the attorneys who will be filing the appeal to have her sentence reduced – and the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals, which will be responsible for deciding whether Judge Garaufis was justified in sentencing her to 81 months in federal prison.
2020 has been a very tough year for many people.
Over 13,000,000 Americans have tested positive for the coronavirus – and more than 260,000 of those people have died.
Numerous other Americans have lost their jobs or their businesses.
But very few people have lost as much as Clare Bronfman lost this year.
Clare Webb Bronfman.
And, unfortunately for Clare, while scientists are on the brink of providing a vaccine that will eventually protect most people from COVID-19, there is no vaccine for the felonies to which she pleaded guilty back in 2019.
She is – and henceforth always will be – a convicted felon.
Unless she is pardoned by the current President, Donald J. Trump – or one of his successors – she will forever carry the stigma that goes with being a felon.
Perhaps she will move away from the U.S. as soon as she is free to do so.
But even that won’t remove the “Felon” label that she will carry for the rest of her life.
VIVA EXECUTIVE SUCCESS!
