Sandusky: I Want Better Prison Conditions

Former Penn State coach planning an appeal
By Matt Cantor,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 8, 2012 5:51 AM CST
Sandusky: I Want Better Prison Conditions
In this Oct. 9, 2012 file photo, former Penn State University assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, center, is taken from the Centre County Courthouse after being sentenced in Bellefonte, Pa.   (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Jerry Sandusky is gearing up for another legal battle, says his lawyer: He wants better living conditions in prison. In a five-tier security rating system, Sandusky is a Level 2 prisoner—but he is living in harsher Level 5 conditions, lawyer Karl Rominger tells the AP following Sandusky's first meeting with his legal team since entering prison. The former Penn State coach spends 23 hours a day isolated in his cell on weekdays; on weekends it's 24 hours, Rominger notes. He does, however, get two phone calls a month, while others at Level 5 get just one. He also has a TV, unlike most Level 5 inmates, Rominger says.

"We understand the prison system is trying to balance their concerns about physical safety. We are just looking for middle ground," he adds. "I know some people in the public will say, `Who cares?' But ... I thought we believe in equality in America. And while he's a convicted sex offender in Pennsylvania, he would like to be treated like every other convicted sex offender." Meanwhile, Sandusky is preparing an appeal. Speaking to him recently, "I was meeting with a man who was again ready to press forward, who has regenerated his energies and has clearly devoted his time and energy to perfecting that appeal," Rominger says. New legal arguments will come next month. (More Jerry Sandusky stories.)

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