Lori Loughlin goes to church, has a 'group' of friends in prison: source

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Lori Loughlin is holding onto her faith while in prison.

The 56-year-old actress is almost halfway into her two-month prison sentence for her role in the college admissions scandal. She checked into the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, Calif., in late October and is expected to be released the week of Christmas.

The "Full House" alum reportedly had a "weepy" first night in prison but has since stuck to a routine, and now more information about her mental and physical health behind bars is coming to light.

A source tells Us Weekly that the mother of two has been going to church services at the federal correctional facility recently.

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"Lori has been praying a lot," the source told the celebrity gossip magazine.

Lori Loughlin has been going to church while serving two months in prison, sources say. (Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic)

Additionally, the insider claimed Loughlin "has been doing OK" and has even found "several friends" in other inmates.

"She hangs out with a group and keeps to herself," the source added.

The source shared that Loughlin, like other inmates, is nervous about contracting the novel coronavirus while being locked up. However, the insider said Loughlin's celebrity status is working in her favor when it comes to COVID-19 protocols.

"The other women are happy Lori is there because officials are taking COVID-19 seriously," the source said, adding, "It would be horrible PR if Lori got COVID-19 and got really sick."

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Loughlin and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, pleaded guilty to charges stemming from $500,000 payments to scam mastermind William “Rick” Singer to get their daughters, Olivia Jade and Isabella Giannulli, recruited onto University of Southern California's crew team. The two had never participated in the sport.

Loughlin and Giannulli both had until Nov. 19 to turn themselves in to a facility to begin their respective sentences, but Loughlin went first, starting her prison sentence on Oct. 30 instead.

Giannulli began his five-month prison sentence last week. A Bureau of Prisons spokesperson confirmed he is housed at a facility in Lompoc, Calif. The facility Giannulli reported to is a federal prison for male inmates only. It is located roughly two and a half hours outside of Los Angeles, where he lives with his family.

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Lori Loughlin has made "several friends" behind bars but is still managing to keep to herself, an insider said. She is housed at the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, Calif.  (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

In their plea agreement, Giannulli agreed to serve five months and pay a $250,000 fine along with two years of supervised release and 250 hours of community service. Meanwhile, Loughlin got a lighter sentence, with a judge ruling for her to spend two months in prison, pay a $150,000 fine and commit to 100 hours of community service. 

A source told People magazine earlier this week that the couple's daughters are having a difficult time as both of their parents are serving their stays simultaneously.

"It's just a nightmare for them," the source told the outlet.  "They were very upset when they said goodbye to Lori. But to have both of their parents now in prison at the same time is very upsetting."

Bureau of Prisons records viewed by Fox News show Giannulli's release date is set for Saturday, April 17, while Loughlin is scheduled to be released Sunday, Dec. 27.

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(Getty Images)

However, a caveat at Loughlin's facility may allow for her to get home and reunite with her daughters in time for Christmas, as the agency sometimes allows for the early release of inmates whose departures fall on a legal holiday, or as in Loughlin's case, on a weekend.

"The Bureau of Prisons may release an inmate whose release date falls on a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday, on the last preceding weekday unless it is necessary to detain the inmate for another jurisdiction seeking custody under a detainer, or for any other reason which might indicate that the inmate should not be released until the inmate's schedule release date," the BOP states on its website.

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Loughlin is serving her sentence at the same facility where "Desperate Housewives" actress Felicity Huffman served 11 days of a planned two-week sentence for similar crimes. 

In addition to the sentence, Loughlin was fired from roles on both Netflix's "Fuller House" and Hallmark's "When Calls the Heart" after her role in the scandal came to light in 2019.