Elizabeth Holmes Opens Up About Prison Life: “Pure Pain” and Helping Fellow Inmates
Elizabeth Holmes, once the high-flying CEO of Theranos, is now living a vastly different reality. The 41-year-old, who was convicted in one of the biggest fraud scandals in history, has spent the past two years behind bars at a federal prison camp in Bryan, Texas. She is serving an 11.25-year sentence which has been reduced to nine years for good behavior.
A Strict Daily Routine
Holmes describes life in prison as monotonous, with strict routines and minimal luxuries. “I wake up just after 5 am every day. At 6 am, the compound opens and 6:30 am is breakfast. I usually eat pieces of fruit,” she shares. To keep herself fit, she works out for 40 minutes daily, lifting 20-pound weights, rowing, and running on the track.
Despite the discipline, she describes her time behind bars as nothing short of excruciating. “It’s been pure pain since I’ve been here. It’s been torture,” Holmes tells PEOPLE in an exclusive interview.
Emotional Visits With Her Children
Perhaps the hardest part for Holmes is being away from her two young children—three-year-old William and two-year-old Invicta—who live nearby with their father, her partner Billy Evans. Holmes looks forward to those weekend visits the most. “It is impossible to say goodbye to my family when they leave. Every time, it is like surrendering all over again,” she says. “I don’t use the word ‘goodbye’ because I am always with them.”
From CEO To 31-Cent-an-Hour Clerk
The former billionaire now earns 31 cents an hour, working as a re-entry clerk in the prison’s education building. She helps fellow inmates who are up for release draft résumés and navigate tax credits and government benefits.
Beyond her clerical duties, she’s also taken on prison law clerk responsibilities, assisting women with their legal cases and applications for compassionate release. In addition, she teaches French and attends weekly therapy for PTSD.
Holmes’ Push for Criminal Justice Reform
Holmes, who still maintains her innocence, isn’t just focused on prison life—she’s also lobbying for change. She has drafted a seven-page handwritten bill titled the American Freedom Act which aims to reform the justice system by reinforcing the presumption of innocence.
Legal experts aren’t convinced. Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani dismissed the initiative, saying, “Holmes should accept responsibility for her actions and stop trying to deflect the blame on our criminal justice system.”
Holmes does acknowledge regrets, saying, “I replayed mistakes I made a million times in my mind, burning them into my body.” But when questioned about specifics, she simply states, “Theranos failed. I take responsibility for that failure. Failure is not fraud.”
With years left on her sentence, Holmes remains focused on her daily routine, her family, and the uncertain path ahead.
