Todd & Julie Chrisley Reflect on Growth & Faith After Their Release

Todd and Julie Chrisley are opening up about their journey through the legal system and their life after incarceration.

On the July 1 episode of “Unlocked with Savannah Chrisley,” the couple joined their daughter Savannah’s podcast for an emotional conversation, sharing new insights into their time behind bars and the challenges they faced along the way.

Two Paths, One Family: Todd & Julie’s Contrasting Experiences

The couple, who were released early after receiving pardons in May 2025, bravely reflected on the physical and emotional hardships they endured. During the candid episode, Savannah described the changes she’s seen in her mother in the weeks since her release.

“So y’all’s prison experiences were definitely very different,” Savannah said, to which Julie agreed. “Mom had to go through things that you never had to,” Savannah added.

Julie, who served time at the Federal Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky, described brutal conditions inside the facility. “It was cold at times in the winter, and it was really really hot in the summertime,” she said, noting the building was more than 100 years old and lacked air conditioning.

Reflecting on her mother’s experience, Savannah shared, “Now when you look at mom, she just looks different in her eyes.”

Keeping Faith Amid Harsh Conditions

Per People, Julie revealed that temperatures inside the prison sometimes soared between “110 and 120 degrees.” Savannah added that even the visitation rooms lacked proper air conditioning during the summer months.

Todd, who served time at a facility in Pensacola, Florida, acknowledged that he had a similar experience with extreme heat. “I called Savannah on the phone because I knew that they was listening… I’d tell them everything that I wanted them to hear, I’d tell Savannah,” he said. “And literally when I told them, I said, ‘I want you to report to the press.’ I said, ‘They’re housing these men in here in 100 degree weather.’” According to Todd, air conditioning units were installed the next day.

Julie, however, didn’t receive the same treatment. “We didn’t have that option to even get repaired because we didn’t have it to begin with,” she said. Savannah and Todd both claimed that at one point, a fire marshal discovered that “they had screwed all of the windows closed.”

Despite the harsh conditions, both Julie and Todd found strength and remained grounded in their faith. “I stayed in my faith. I prayed, I read my Bible, I worked out, I walked,” Todd shared.

He also recalled a powerful dream he had during that time. “[God] said, ‘I have planted you where I need you and when you leave, they will rise,’” he recounted.

Todd and Julie were originally sentenced to a combined 19 years in prison in 2023 after being found guilty of bank fraud and tax evasion. Both sentences were later reduced by approximately two years, and they were released on May 28, 2025.

Now home with their family, the Chrisleys are focused on healing, reconnecting, and using their experience as a turning point for personal growth and renewed purpose.