It will be 2017 before troubled Teen Mom star Amber Portwood steps back out into the free world. An Indiana judge sentenced her to five years in jail this morning, despite the fact that her lawyer asked him to have leniency on the MTV star. According to TMZ, the judge told the lawyer and Amber that he had no choice but to enforce Amber’s original five-year sentence.
In regards to Amber’s daughter, Leah, she will continue to live with her father, Gary Shirley. (He got full custody back in 2011.) Leah will be nearly nine years old by the time her mother gets out of prison if Amber serves her full sentence.
Those of you who have been following Amber’s long-winded legal saga know that Amber quit her court-ordered drug rehab program in May and asked the judge to send her back to jail. She told the judge that she will always be a “bad girl” and was unable to kick her addiction to a drug called Suboxone.
Despite the fact that he didn’t reduce her five-year sentence, the judge did throw Amber a bone during sentencing. In addition to allowing for time served, the judge also promised to refer Amber to the Indiana Department of Corrections therapeutic community program, a drug addiction treatment program that she can pursue while in jail. (In case you care, Amber measured 5’3, 138 lbs. when she entered the jail, according to the jail’s housed inmates list.)
Unfortunately, little Leah won’t be seeing much of her mother. Amber’s been given only one half-hour a week of visitation time (from 6:20-6:50 p.m. every Saturday). Luckily, children are allowed to visit offenders in the jail Amber is being housed in. She will only be allowed four visitors a week, though, none of which will be able to actually touch her.
“Visitors are separated from the inmates by a glass and metal partition and communicate via phone,” reads the jail’s website.
Despite the turmoil little Leah has seen in her three-and-a-half years, she is doing great, according to her father, who tweeted the following message earlier this week.
“Leah and I. Living it up here we got each others backs.”
(Bottom Photo: Facebook.com/ItsGaryTime)
17 Responses
Are you not doing recaps anymore?
I am so sad for Amber ..#1. I am from Indiana & #2. I am on Suboxone to TREAT MY ADDICTION TO PAIN MEDS DUE TO 17 surgeries.I’ve taken Suboxone before being clean & of course now for the past 22mths through a dr & I know for a fact it doesnt give you buzz. It strictly is to take withdrawals away from opiods. Suboxone & Methadone are the 2 meds used
to detox u & to be a maintenance drug for drug abusers, but Suboxone is taken by the PEOPLE WHO HONESTLY WANT TO CHANGE THEIR LIVES FOR THE BETTER!! Methadone are for the people who just want a legal,guaranted daily buzz. So let’s cetlebrate that for Amber,but I’m disgusted by the fact
that she chose to leave a life changing rehab over her daughter. Its patheti,. Who would pick 5 yrs in jail over a relaxing rehab program that supports the growth & maturing of yourself as a person,mother,daughter,& friend. How selfish!! I’ve never commented on a story or article before,but this really upsets me. I wonder if MTV never happened to Amber her life would wouldn’t be in ruins? I’m praying for her as a single mom to single mom.
Suboxone is nothing like morphine you need to do a bit more research. Morphine is a pain medication. Suboxone is on the whole other end of the spectrum. I thought reporters did research??
I am glad the drama will cease in little Leah’s life. She deserves better than Amber for a mother. Gary is a good father, who needs just to keep focused on his daughter and forget the zero known as Amber. She will always be all about herself. She never takes accountability for anything. She blamed Gary for the pregnancy when it takes 2. She blames her mom for her anger. Nothing is poor little Amber’s fault. She is destroying her daughters life by choosing prison over rehab, what a selfish chidish decision. She does not want to do the work for her daughter. SELFISH!
Leah. Is. Adorable.
My first comment here: First I love your blog and all your articles about 16 and Pregnant and Teen mom, and I laugh a lot of time when you were writing about “the orange face”.
But right now I’m crying because I’m so sad for Amber and Leah! Without MTV, I don’t think this would have happened =(
For Gary, well, I think he is not innocent in this case.
When everything started, he could have stop it but did not. They were in a toxic relationship, he just had to say stop and split up.
I still remember their 16 and pregnant episode, they were so young! Leah had already gain maturity but Gary no, the ps3 or xbox scene for proof. She gave up so much for him and baby Leah! We are about the same age and I can’t imagine how lonely she felt when all of this happened…
So right now, I’m thinking: be strong Amber, the worst is behind. Let those years pass and prepare your and Leah future, show them you could be the mom that Leah deserves…
Is there a chance she will be out before 5 years?
(I’m not from USA, so I don’t know the “Jail system”!)
Fingers crossed!
First off Leah is the child, little one. Second Amber gave up nothing. I have seen her just lay in the bed while Gary changed Leah and fed her and he worked. I remember one episode where they were at a restaurant Leah became fretful and Amber told her to shut up she was getting on her nerves. She was hungry, Gary began to feed her she became quiet. Also, they signed up for the program don’t blame MTV for her choices. It is plain to see you have no clue. You are to young.
What a pointlessly condescending reply.
true. amber is a good mother, and person
Who would’ve thought that Gary would turn out to be the good parent….
This is just sad.
Agreed…neither Amber or Gary have the sense God gave a goose. I always gag whenever I see ppl comment “Gary, you’re such a good Dad” and such! He’s not Father of the Year, not by any standards, he just happens to be the lesser of two evils for that poor little girl. God help Leah!
who r u to say if gary is or isnt father of the year. did u see anything when the cameras werent rolling? no. none of us did. so u dont know know. gary is a good dad. leah eats good, always wearing nice clothes, he plays with her and takes her places. she is taken care of. and amber is trying to get better so she can be a good mom. but no matter what she is not a bad person.
Two things… jail is a temporary thing, generally reserved for people who are awaiting trial/sentencing, arraignments, etc. or are serving a 6 month or less sentence. Plus the Indiana Department of Corrections is in charge of Prisons, not jails… So Amber is going to prison. Secondly, Suboxone is used to treat opioids addiction, “blocks the effects of opioids such as morphine, codeine, and heroin,” – http://www.drugs.com/suboxone.html
While a goal of addiction treatment is do get someone off Suboxone people generally are punished for taking it… although I believe I saw in another article awhile ago that she was still using drugs while on Suboxone.
Noticed typos in my comment… it should read, “While a goal of addiction treatment is to get someone off Suboxone people generally are not punished for taking it…”
Absolutely heart broken for Leah, Amber & Gary!! I wish them all the luck in the world an hope everything works out well for them.