Jussie Smollett has been moved to a new jail cell, the Cook County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday.
Smollett, whose brother said he’s been housed in the jail’s psych ward, is still in the same unit but was moved to a different cell on Monday when medical professionals determined another detainee needed it more, the agency said.
The actor’s new digs at Chicago’s county jail features round-the-clock surveillance from officers who are stationed outside of the cell at all times to ensure the actor remains under “direct observation,” the sheriff’s office said.
Like other inmates, the convicted felon is entitled to “substantial time” out of his cell but when he is in common areas, other detainees won’t be permitted in the area, the agency explained.
“These protocols are routinely used for individuals ordered into protective custody who may potentially be at risk of harm due to the nature of their charges, their profession, or their noteworthy status,” the sheriff’s office said.
“The safety and security of all detained individuals, including Mr. Smollett, is the Sheriff’s Office’s highest priority.”
The sheriff’s office noted that Smollett “was never restrained to a bed or anything else in the cell,” nor was his previous bed ever equipped with restraints.
The housing unit where Smollett is locked up is Division 8, or the jail’s Residential Treatment Unit, which is reserved for detainees with injuries and medical conditions that make them particularly susceptible to COVID-19 infection, according to Southside Weekly.
The sheriff’s office said Smollett is in an area “frequently utilized for individuals requiring a high level of supervision and care for mental health needs” but the unit is also sometimes used “solely for security reasons due to the enhanced monitoring that can occur in this setting.”
“It would be inaccurate and irresponsible to make any assumption about his mental or medical condition based on where he is currently housed,” the office said.
On Monday, Smollett’s attorneys filed an emergency motion to postpone his five-month sentence as they work to appeal his conviction on five counts of felony disorderly conduct for lying to police.
His attorneys claimed Smollett’s life is at risk because of threats he and his family received and because he is immunocompromised, and at a high-risk of a serious COVID-19 case.