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By Emma Marsden
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Ex-Trump adviser Steve Bannon has opened up about his experience of prison, saying illicit drug use was widespread, contraband was delivered by drone, and a sense of hopelessness pervaded inmates.
Bannon, who served time for contempt of Congress, was speaking of his life inside the Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury, Connecticut, in a recent interview with former Republican Representative Matt Gaetz on his Anchormen podcast.
Newsweek contacted Bannon via his podcast email and the Bureau of Prisons via email on Friday outside of usual working hours for comment.
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Why It Matters
Bannon began a four-month prison sentence on July 1, 2024, after he was found guilty in 2022 of two counts of contempt of Congress for failing to respond to a subpoena issued by the House Select Committee investigating the January 6 riot at the Capitol. He was released in October.
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What To Know
Speaking to Gaetz about his observations in prison, in a video shared on Gaetz's online accounts, Bannon talked about witnessing drones dropping packages into the prison yard, allegedly containing narcotics like 'K2', a synthetic marijuana drug.
"I would say that a third comes in from drones," Bannon said, "which is crazy to think about, it's unbelievable. They had a drone come in on the beginning of Labor Day weekend that dropped phones and drugs down in the yard. They locked the yard down, then they locked us all down for Labor Day."
Bannon also claimed that the drug "can come in on paper, on legal documents, on books. People send them books, and they got it on there in prison; you can get anything you want. They get phones, they get drugs in there. "
Beyond the contraband issues, Bannon highlighted the psychological toll on inmates, noting that being confined for years can "break a person."
"These kids are 25 years old, Hispanic and Black," Bannon said. "Principally, they are in prison for 15, 20, and 25 years in a small place like Danbury. So in Danbury, which is 100 years old, accommodation for 800, I think we had 1,200 at one time there because of so many foreign nationals and child molesters.
"It's so overcrowded, these young men get there, they have 20 years of their life [that] are gonna be spent in the confines of Danbury prison, that's hard. It was hard for me for four months, for 25 years, when you're 25 years old, it can break a person.
"And what they do is they start doing this drug K2 that can get into the prisons, and once that happens, they're violent, uncontrollable, and that can happen at any time."
Bannon emphasized what he sees as a lack of rehabilitative programs, saying, "The federal prison system is set up to break families, and these people, I'm telling you, the Black and Hispanic men in those prisons don't support the Democratic Party. I think the Democratic Party is screwed."
"The Bureau of Prisons (BOP) recognizes the emotional toll individuals in custody may face," the BOP said in a statement sent to Newsweek. "The overall mental health and wellbeing of the inmates entrusted to our care is one of the top priorities. The BOP offers robust mental health services provided by caring and skilled professionals who utilize evidence-based services to meet the needs of the population. Meaningful programs, including educational, recreational, vocational, and leisure programs, are available on a regular and recurring basis. These programs provide meaningful and productive opportunities for self-improvement and prepare individuals for release. All inmates are also continually encouraged to maintain contact with loved ones, friends, and outside resources to support their mental wellness while incarcerated.
"Additionally, the introduction of narcotics and other prohibited drugs or controlled substances continues to pose a threat to the security of BOP facilities, and to the safety of staff and inmates. The BOP is committed to ensuring the safety and security of all inmates, staff, and the public, which includes addressing the security threats that Unmanned Aerial Systems [i.e., UASs or 'drones'] pose to our facilities. The BOP addresses this problem using a multi-faceted approach. The BOP continually evaluates and deploys as appropriate, contraband-detecting technologies, including walk-through metal detectors and whole-body imaging devices. In addition, we have employed enhanced staffing patterns in high security prisons as well as strengthened internal security procedures. We continue to proactively research, rigorously evaluate, and effectively deploy proven security technologies to detect, interdict, and mitigate dangerous contraband, including UASs. For safety reasons, we do not elaborate further on internal security procedures."
What People Are Saying
As reported by Newsweek, Bannon previously described himself as a "political prisoner" who was sent to federal prison by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to "break" him. "The four months in federal prison, not only didn't break me, it empowered me. I am more energized and more focused than I've ever been in my entire life, and I can see clearly, just like in 2016 and in 2020, exactly what's going on here."
Former Representative Matt Gaetz, reposting a video on his X page: "Wow."
What Happens Next
Since his release last year, Bannon has positioned himself as a vocal critic of the current justice system and has looked at prison reform. He continues to assert that his imprisonment was politically motivated and has vowed to remain an active figure in politics.
Update 5/16/25, 2:40 p.m. ET: This story was updated with a statement from the Bureau of Prisons.
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