R. Kelly moved to general inmate population
CHICAGO - Jail personnel moved R. Kelly on Tuesday into the general inmate population despite earlier concerns - apparently shared at one point by the singer - that other inmates could try to hurt him because of his celebrity status or because he is accused of sexually assaulting minors, federal prosecutors in Chicago said in a new court filing.
Word that Kelly has been moved from a restrictive unit at a high-rise jail in downtown Chicago comes days after Kelly's lawyers said the 52-year-old had been held in solitary confinement by no fault of his own since his July arrest, with none of the privileges of other inmates, such as access to TV or candy from the jail commissary, or to outdoor exercise and daily showers. They characterized the conditions as "cruel and unusual punishment."
But in their Tuesday filing in U.S. District Court in Chicago, prosecutors disputed defense suggestions Kelly had been kept in the special housing unit, called the SHU, against his will and for no good reason, alleging Kelly himself had asked after his July arrest on federal charges to be kept from other inmates. From the SHU, Kelly also was able to purchase items from the jail store, "including snacks such as Snickers," the filing says.
Jail personnel moved R. Kelly on Tuesday into the general inmate population despite earlier concerns - apparently shared at one point by the singer - that other inmates could try to hurt him because of his celebrity status or because he is accused of sexually assaulting minors, federal prosecutors in Chicago said in a new court filing.
Word that Kelly has been moved from a restrictive unit at a high-rise jail in downtown Chicago comes days after Kelly's lawyers said the 52-year-old had been held in solitary confinement by no fault of his own since his July arrest, with none of the privileges of other inmates, such as access to TV or candy from the jail commissary, or to outdoor exercise and daily showers. They characterized the conditions as "cruel and unusual punishment."
But in their Tuesday filing in U.S. District Court in Chicago, prosecutors disputed defense suggestions Kelly had been kept in the special housing unit, called the SHU, against his will and for no good reason, alleging Kelly himself had asked after his July arrest on federal charges to be kept from other inmates. From the SHU, Kelly also was able to purchase items from the jail store, "including snacks such as Snickers," the filing says.