Steve Bannon’s incarceration a ‘culture shock’: No podcasts, but maybe a library job

As longtime Trump ally Steve Bannon spends his first night in a low-security federal prison for defying a subpoena as part of the congressional investigation into the Trump affair, The attack on the U.S. Capitol gave the world a glimpse of what life will look like for the MAGA strategist over the next four months.

Sam Mangel, Bannon’s corrections consultant, dropped him off at the facility in Danbury, Connecticut. Mangel told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins Monday night on “The Source” that Bannon, along with Mangel and former police commissioner Bernie Kerik, met with a prison captain and lieutenant in what he called a “very civilized transfer.”

No handcuffs.

“I think anybody who goes into prison is going to be scared and nervous,” Mangel said. “Naturally, when you’re dealing with somebody who’s used to being in the media, who’s got fiery rhetoric and wants to come across as a little bit bravado, bold, I get it. But as soon as somebody walks through those doors and the antechamber door closes, reality sets in.”

Bannon has a list of things to remember during his stay and needs to focus on why he is there.

“It’s an opportunity to get away from everything that’s going on outside,” Mangel said.

Bannon will not only lose his freedom, but also his internet and many communications; his phone time will be limited and his emails will be “heavily” monitored.

Additionally, he will not be able to conduct business or listen to podcasts while in prison, although he could participate in a show. Before his surrender, Bannon spent much of his Monday morning livestreaming his popular podcast “War Room” in Danbury, Connecticut.

If he continues to operate while behind bars, Bannon could lose all his privileges.

“I don’t think I really realized it until he and I were getting ready to say goodbye,” Mangel said.

When Collins asked how Bannon, who was formerly in the West Wing, was handling the treatment, including the strip searches, Mangel said he was “ready.”

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“He was prepared, he went in there, he kept his head up,” Mangel added.

Mangel stressed that the federal prisons bureau can be “very punitive.” If someone gets upset over even the smallest things, they can be disciplined.

“This is not your playground. This is someone else’s,” he added.

While his punishment won’t earn him more time behind bars, it could land him in the “SHU” for the duration of his stay, Mangel said, referring to the prison’s special housing unit.

Bannon, a U.S. Navy veteran, serves in the veterans unit, Mangel said. He will likely work at the library as a nurse.

“Something that fits his age and what he wants to do,” he said, adding that in prison Bannon will be a number like anyone else.

“He’s going to stand next to his bed and be counted. It’s going to be a culture shock in many ways. It’s a very humiliating experience for everyone.”

Watch the clip below or at this link.