The Jodi Arias case received a lot of media attention, and it has been going on since 2008 and only recently had a final verdict of a life sentence for Arias for the murder of Travis Alexander. Although the case is over, the long sentence for Arias has just begun. A recent interview with a murderer who has a case similar to Arias reveals what Arias will expect as she serves time in a state prison.
Arias was sentenced to life in prison last month, and there has been little news of her since then. There have been reports from ABC15 of that Jodi Arias has been getting special treatment behind bars, according to a fellow inmate, who claims Arias is getting her own recreation space. The inmate claims that the entire prison went on lockdown when the Arias arrived. The Arizona Department of Corrections denies these allegations, saying that the prison did not go on lockdown when Arias arrived and recreation space is a standard procedure for a maximum security prisoner.
A recent article from USA Today showed another killer who is similar to Arias, even saying that Jodi Arias would be her in another 50 years. Betty Smithey served 49 years for killing a 15-month-old girl she was babysitting back in 1963. Granted, there is a huge difference in ages of the victims, but both were sentenced to life in prison. Smithey was released from prison in 2012, and she was 69 at the time.
When asked about Arias, Smithey states that she knows better than anyone what Arias is facing. She has stated: "I don't agree with what she did, but I don't believe that giving someone a natural life sentence with no hope is a good idea. I feel sorry for her - not for the crime - but for what she is facing."
Even though the two of them have not met, she gave her this advice: "Be patient. Accept what you did. Be a better person. Pray. And don't give up hope." Even though Smithey spent almost 50 years in prison, she is an avid defender of the Department of Corrections. She has stated that there was staff that would sit down and talk with her, and, by treating people with respect, most would reciprocate.
For those that have not followed the Jodi Arias case, she was convicted of first-degree murder for killing her boyfriend, salesman Travis Alexander. Arias pled not guilty, testifying that she had killed Alexander in self-defense. She was indicted by the grand jury on first degree murder charges in 2008, and the prosecutor sought the death penalty for her. She began her life sentence last month, and one can't help but wonder if she will ever be released like Betty Smithey.
