A source tells ET that the actress is 'communicating daily with her family' as the facility isn't allowing visitors at the time.
Lori Loughlin could be returning home from prison by Christmas. The 56-year-old actress, who begun her two-month prison sentence for her involvement in the college admissions scandal last month, has a release date of Sunday, Dec, 27.
However, 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's necessary to continue to detain them. This year, Christmas Eve falls on a Thursday, while Christmas Day is on Friday, which means Loughlin could possibly make it home for the holidays.
In the meantime, the former Full House star is at the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, California. The facility is not currently allowing visitors, meaning Loughlin won't be able to see her family beforehand, as the prison's website states that "all visitation at this facility has been suspended until further notice."
However, a source tells ET that the actress is in constant communication with her loved ones.
"Lori’s been communicating daily with her family and is trying her best to get acclimated to her new surroundings but she’s ready to go home," the source says. "This is a huge challenge. She is trying to stay strong but she’s also been very frightened of contracting COVID. This was a huge stress for Lori even before she was locked up and now her fear is even worse."
The source adds, "Her girls are worried about her and are doing everything they can to reassure her that she can do this and trying to help her to stay strong. Never in a million years did Lori ever think she‘d be behind bars in her lifetime and she had a very difficult time dealing with that reality. She lost many nights of sleep in fear of what everyday life would be like in prison."
On Oct. 30, ET learned that Loughlin surrendered herself to authorities. She began her prison sentence early, as a judge originally ordered her to report to prison on Nov. 19. She has also been ordered to pay a fine of $150,000 and complete 100 hours of community service once she is released.
In a statement to ET, the U.S. Attorney's Office explained that, "The parties recently agreed that the defendant can report to prison on October 30, 2020, instead of on November 19, 2020. The defendant has further agreed that, during her two month sentence, she will not seek an early release from prison on COVID-related grounds."
Loughlin's Aug. 21 sentencing came just a few hours after her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, was sentenced to five months in prison, two years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000 and 250 hours of community service for his involvement in the scandal.
For more on Loughlin and Giannulli's sentencing, watch below.
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