Savannah Chrisley talks to Laura Trump about prison reform, parent's plight on FOX News

article

Reality TV star Savannah Chrisley speaks on stage on the second day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 16, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

Savannah Chrisley, once known for her role on the reality television show Chrisley Knows Best, has become a vocal advocate for prison reform after her parents, Todd and Julie Chrisley, were convicted of financial crimes in 2022 and sentenced to federal prison.

Chrisley on 'My View with Lara Trump' on FOX News on Sunday said she wants people to know about her family’s story.

What they're saying:

Chrisley, now the legal guardian of her younger siblings Chloe and Grayson, has stepped away from the spotlight of scripted television and into the public policy arena, driven by personal experience and a mission to call out what she describes as a broken justice system.

"I was on TV for ten years and it was a scripted comedy," Chrisley said in a recent interview. "People think it was a big reality show, but really a scripted comedy. It’s been hard for me to break away from that mold... they don’t give me a chance to prove myself."

That changed when her parents went to prison. "I knew nothing about prisons. I thought that people go to prison and that is what it is. And that is so far from the truth," she said.

Savannah Chrisley has not shied away from criticizing how the case against her family was handled. "Our case was in Georgia and they were not going to prosecute because they said it was very weak," she said. "It took nine years to issue a federal indictment. The prosecutors were Democrats. They donated to Democratic candidates... At trial we knew it was over."

She also claims the family was unfairly targeted because of their celebrity status. "There was a report... that substantiated the claims that they were unfairly targeted. They had my father’s face on a dartboard in their office."

Chrisley has drawn comparisons between her family’s prosecution and recent legal troubles facing high-profile political figures. "I thought it was the Department of Justice, but I refer to it now as the Department of Injustice," she said. "You don’t understand until it happens to you... When you see your name in United States versus the Chrisleys, it causes you to take a step back."

Her public comments have not come without consequences. She says the judge in her parents’ trial reprimanded her for speaking out. "The judge looked at me and said, ‘To the person who has minor children in your custody, you need to be more concerned with the children’s well-being than spreading false information to the public.’ This was right after I spoke at the RNC," she said.

Despite the challenges, Chrisley says she is determined to keep speaking up—not just for her parents, but for others navigating the prison system. "My dad got 12 years and my mom got seven. That sentence is extremely harsh. There is no rehabilitation whatsoever," she said.

She’s called for a shift in how non-violent offenders are incarcerated, supporting ideas like those raised by independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. "He spoke about wanting to turn these [facilities] into actual working farms where people learn a trade, grow their own food... I love that," she said.

Chrisley also criticized conditions inside the facilities, saying her mother’s prison in Kentucky lacks air conditioning. "Regardless of what someone does, I think you should have basic bare necessities. It’s heartbreaking."

She speaks to her parents daily, though calls are brief due to limited minutes. "They are okay, but it’s extremely sad to see how these individuals are treated," she said.

Even with the weight of her family’s legal issues and raising her siblings, Chrisley remains motivated by her parents' support. "My mom literally yesterday got in the mail a Mother’s Day card... it said, ‘I will never be able to repay you for what you’ve done for Chloe and Grayson and us. I am so proud of you.’"