Elizabeth Holmes, the former Theranos CEO now serving time at Federal Prison Camp Bryan in Texas, is speaking publicly about her daily life behind bars and her efforts to help fellow inmates. The 41-year-old, whose 11.25-year sentence was recently reduced to nine years, maintains her innocence regarding the collapse of the biotech company she founded in 2003. Theranos, once valued at $9 billion, attracted more than $700 million from high-profile investors and formed partnerships with major chains such as Walgreens.
Holmes told People: "Human beings are not made to be in cells. It goes so far beyond understanding. I'm trying really hard not to tear up right now. I'm trying to grow, as every moment matters. And if one person's life can be touched trying to help them in a crisis, it matters." She described her incarceration as a state of enduring heartbreak, explaining how separation from her children-William, 3, and Invicta, 2-"shatters my world every single time."
She says those precious visits occur in a stark environment. In Holmes's words: "The people I love the most have to walk away as I stand here, a prisoner, and my reality sinks in." Her partner, Billy Evans, brings their children to the facility twice a week, with the family enjoying brief hugs and a few quiet hours before parting at a secured glass door.
Holmes earned global infamy after Theranos promised revolutionary blood-testing technology that could run hundreds of diagnostic checks using a few drops of blood. Scrutiny intensified when regulators launched investigations in 2015, followed by a Wall Street Journal exposé claiming the company's flagship device failed to provide accurate results. Soon after, Theranos shuttered its labs and wellness centers; both Holmes and Ramesh "Sunny" Balwani, an ex-partner, were charged with "massive fraud" by the SEC in 2018.
Balwani was ultimately sentenced to 13 years for defrauding investors and patients. Holmes, who was indicted on multiple fraud and conspiracy counts, was acquitted on charges involving patient deception but convicted of misleading investors. She told People: "I refused to plead guilty to crimes I did not commit. Theranos failed. But failure is not fraud."
The prison has a strict schedule that begins each morning around 5 A.M. After waking, Holmes eats fruit for breakfast and devotes about 40 minutes to exercise, including weightlifting, rowing, and running on a track. By 8 A.M. she reports to the education building, where she earns 31 cents an hour as a reentry clerk helping inmates prepare for post-release life.
- Estimated $700 million raised from investors
- $9 billion peak valuation of Theranos
- Three years of supervision awaiting Holmes after prison
- 300 monthly phone minutes allocated for calls
Holmes also advocates for mothers at the facility, drawing from her own experience arriving with a breast pump when her daughter was just three months old. "I wanted my daughter to have her mother's milk," she recalled. "It was important to me because it was a way to love her in here." After speaking with the warden, authorities built lactation stations in the housing units in 2023, including a mural depicting a mother and child, and a freezer where inmates can store milk.
She says she spends downtime reading books ranging from Harry Potter to ancient Chinese texts and attending therapy sessions to cope with PTSD from alleged abuse. On her time with other inmates, Holmes remarked: "So many of these women don't have anyone, and once they're in there, they're forgotten." In addition to her reentry role, she teaches French and works as a law clerk to help fellow prisoners navigate compassionate release and other legal matters.
Holmes maintains her innocence, insisting, "People who have never met me believe so strongly about me. They don't understand who I am. It forces you to spend a lot of time questioning belief and hoping the truth will prevail." Yet she also acknowledges she is forever changed by this experience and envisions focusing her future on reforming the criminal justice system and developing new healthcare innovations. "There is not a day I have not continued to work on my research and inventions," she says. "I remain completely committed to my dream of making affordable healthcare solutions available to everyone."
