Aaron Hernandez is listed as inmate No. 174594 while awaiting trial for the murder of Odin Lloyd and since he has been moved into protective custody away from the general population, other inmates have called the former Patriots star a punk and a bum in regards to him being in jail with them.
The NY Post spoke with some inmates who said that they could care less that Hernandez is in jail and based on where is held, Hernandez is allowed out for three hours per day from his cell and he spends 21 hours in solitary confinement for his protection. The jail felt it was best to keep him separate from the rest of the population and now he is allowed one hour per day of exercise and he is being watched over at all times.
Hernandez originally was housed in the medial unit before being moved and it was determined after a safety assessment that it would be best to keep him in isolation. Officials at the prison said that Hernandez could be a target from the other inmates due to his notoriety and time in the NFL and he will be housed in a Class 2 unit, which gives him some freedom, but not much. Instead of one hour per day, Hernandez is allowed outside for three hours outside of his cell and he also has access to the telephone, a common room and he can add five people to his visitor list.
Hernandez could be facing life in prison for the murder and eventually other charges may be leveled against him for a double murder that occurred in downtown Boston last July. The body of Odin Lloyd was found less than a mile from Hernandez's home and he was arrested for the crime last Wednesday and was arraigned on charges of first degree murder. During the court appearance numerous details about the shooting came out, including that Lloyd was shot five times, execution style, that shell casings were found that tied Hernandez to the murder and also video surveillance footage.
While the common room does not have a TV, it is an extra space that is not his cell and Hernandez will be in that unit for at least a week before officials review his situation. Bristol County Sheriff Tom Hodgson spoke about Hernandez and how he is adjusting and he said he is doing well in his new situation despite previously living in a mansion and he has been a solid inmate that hasn't made any special requests.
According to ESPN.com, any staff or inmates that ask for autographs or pictures with Hernandez could face punishment, including outright termination for some of the staff if they don't comply. Hernandez has not received any special treatment leading into him getting arrested, as the police did not allow him to turn himself in and the judge did not approve bail for the charged murderer.
Hernandez was held in a single cell over the weekend and he is allowed out for one hour per day while in lockup. Inmates are not allowed to ask for pictures and any guards that do so could end up with a bit of a punishment. Reports say that Hernandez has been well behaved so far and while his situation is much different than when he was at home last week, he has no choice but to remain behind bars.
