Several facilities have been identified that could offer the former president a cell while keeping him safe while he is behind bars.
Trump is set to be sentenced on July 11 after being found guilty of 34 felony counts last month over falsifying business records to stop adult actress Stormy Daniels from speaking about alleged extramarital sex with him.
The amount left US legal commentators, who previously argued he would receive probation or home confinement, believing prison is now possible.
As Trump has been convicted at the State level, he would be housed in New York, the most likely being Rikers Island’s “VIP” West Facility.
Another alternative being considered – previously used to house rapist Harvey Weinstein – is a private room inside Bellevue Hospital Prison Ward on a floor away from all other detainees.
A source told the Express: “Possible locations where Trump would be held were looked at when he continually broke his gag order and the trial judge threatened him with jail.
“The warning kickstarted prison bosses into thinking just where he could be held.
“The two locations that could ensure his safety are Ryker’s west facility and Bellevue’s 19th floor, run by the corrections department.”
If Trump faces more than one year in jail, New York law requires his sentence be served in a New York penal facility.
However, if his sentence is shorter than a year, it will be served in a New York City correctional facility, such as Rikers Island.
Most high-profile detainees are housed there in the department’s west facility.
The jail was originally built to house people with contagious diseases.
It is mainly empty, and detainees placed there, such as former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg, are typically given their own cells – away from other people locked up.
However, those with complex security needs can be housed in Bellevue.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams has previously said the city’s notorious Rikers Island jail and its department of corrections were “ready” to receive Trump if he was found guilty.
“They’re professionals,” Adams said. “They’ll be ready.”
The situation is further complicated by Trump’s right to secret service protection.
Bosses are devising plans to ensure agents can remain in place even in prison.
According to many legal experts, falsification of business records typically doesn’t result in prison time, with home confinement or probation being more common outcomes.
However, Trump’s case is anything but typical.
The number of guilty verdicts and his ongoing attacks against Judge Juan Merchan, who will decide his sentence next month, could potentially backfire.
Trump has said he is “OK” with serving jail time or being under house arrest following his historic conviction.
“I’m OK with it,” Trump said in an interview that aired Sunday when asked about the potential punishments.
