He may have outwitted, outlasted and outplayed on the island in the first season of “Survivor,” but Richard Hatch is finding living in prison to be very difficult, the Associated Press reports.
Hatch, who won the first “Survivor,” was sent to prison for failing to pay federal taxes on his winning prize. He was sent to prison on July 25, and was sentenced to 51 months in jail.
“I’m doing lots of intake stuff, like clothing and getting to know the place … but I don’t think I will adjust to any of this until I can prove I was unethically prosecuted,” Hatch told a local newspaper in a phone interview.
He also says that he is helping other inmates to get their general education diplomas, by tutoring them, as well as helping inmates with job-hunting tips.
Hatch says many of the inmates know who he is because of the reality show, which makes his experience in prison even stranger.
“They all have questions — want to know what this experience is like and what ‘Survivor’ was about,” he says.
Original ‘Survivor’ winner Richard Hatch was transferred to a federal prison in Oklahoma last week as he serves out his 51-month sentence.
The 45-year-old, who was convicted in January of failing to pay taxes on his ‘Survivor’ prize money and other income, was previously being held at the Plymouth County Correctional Facility in Massachusetts.
His new home, the Federal Transfer Center in Oklahoma City, is a hub-like facility used when moving prisoners through the federal system.
The Associated Press reports that it is not known whether Hatch is in the process of being transferred, or whether he will serve his time at the Oklahoma institution.
According to his lawyer, Michael Minns, Hatch has voiced a preference to serve his sentence near family in Florida or Rhode Island.
“He should be in a camp,” said Minns. “The camps are the most comfortable of the uncomfortable. They are still jails, but they get to see the sky and be outside. It’s bad for Richard, who is an outdoor person.”
Richard Hatch, the oft-naked contestant who won $1 million in the first season of ?Survivor,? is heading to prison. He was sentenced Tuesday to 51 months in jail for failing to pay income tax on the hit reality show?s prize money and other income, the Associated Press reports.
The 45-year-old was convicted of the offences in January. He dodged the maximum sentence of 13 years behind bars.
Hatch argued he was under the impression that taxes on the Survivor cash would be covered by the show?s producers. He also went for the popular defense claim of Utter Stupidity, saying he knows little about finances and simply forgot to report some income to his accountants.
