Bill Cosby Moved To General Population In Prison

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PA — Bill Cosby has been moved into a general population unit in state prison as his three to 10 year incarceration continues, officials confirmed.

The 81-year-old former comedian, who was convicted last year of drugging and molesting a woman inside his Cheltenham home, began his stay in a single cell in a unit that was adjacent to the infirmary area.

Over the past few months since his incarceration began in late September, Cosby has met with the medical, psychological, and records departments, the Department of Corrections said. His placement in a single cell was designed to keep him safe, as high profile inmates are often targets of violence, but the plan was to move him into general population all along, Corrections Secretary John Wetzel said last year.

Cosby was moved to the new single cell in a two-story, generational population unit on Jan. 28, officials with the state Department of Corrections confirmed Thursday.

There are 144 total cells in his unit.

He's also been assigned several other inmates who help him with his daily tasks due to his advanced age and various health issues, including failing eyesight.

A drone recently flew over the SCI Phoenix prison yard while Cosby was out being guided on a walk, per a report. The incident led to the prison being locked down.

Prison officials believe the drone was dispatched by a media organization to get photos of Cosby, but it's not known if it was successful, the report states.

Cosby was accused of sexual assault by dozens of women, but the years-long court battle which led to his prosecution in 2018 marked the first successful criminal charges brought against him.

See related coverage:

• SCI Phoenix Locked Down After Drone Flies Over Bill Cosby: Report
• Bill Cosby Hit With Hot Dog Bun On Rough 1st Day In Jail: Report
• Bill Cosby To Serve Prison Sentence At SCI Phoenix In Montco

Photo by Montgomery County Correctional Facility via Getty Images