Danny Masterson moves prison again amid ‘wellbeing’ concerns

Danny Masterson appears at the CMT Music Awards in Nashville, Tennessee on June 7, 2017. Photo / AP

Danny Masterson has moved prisons - again.

The That 70s Show actor - who was sentenced last September to 30 years to life behind bars after being found guilty of raping two women 20 years ago - was transferred from North Kern State Prison to Corcoran State Prison in California on January 29, but after less than two weeks at the high-security facility, he has been relocated again to California’s Men’s Colony in San Luis Obispo, Deadline reports.

Masterson was moved over the last week due to concern for “the inmate’s wellbeing” while he was at Corcoran, which is best known for having housed notorious cult leader Charles Manson for the two decades before his death in 2017.

The Men’s Colony is a medium and minimum-security facility, and according to a description on the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s website, inmates “have the opportunity to take advantage of increased academic and career/technical education, as well as self-improvement programmes including: cognitive behaviour therapy programmes, substance abuse education, criminal thinking, anger management and family relationships”.

Last month, Masterson was denied bail while he appeals his case over concerns he has “every incentive to flee”.

Los Angeles Superior Court judge Charlaine F. Olmedo wrote: “If defendant’s conviction and sentence are upheld on appeal, he will likely remain in custody for decades and perhaps the rest of his life.”

Actor Danny Masterson, left, stands with his attorney, Thomas Mesereau, as he is arraigned on rape charges. Photo / AP

“In light of the fact that the defendant has no wife to go home to, the defendant now has every incentive to flee and little reason to return to state prison to serve out the remainder of his lengthy sentence should his appeal be unsuccessful.”

The decision to deny bail comes as he has appealed against his rape conviction.

His attorneys had said last month: “[The] defendant requests that this court grant bail on appeal, and offers to comply with any relevant terms and conditions imposed by the court that enable him to be an at-home parent and financial provider for his family, including house arrest and/or participation in an electronic monitoring programme administered by the probation department.”

They argued that he possessed a “lack of dangerousness” and wouldn’t be a flight risk, claiming they now had “extensive exculpatory evidence that was not presented to the jury”.