Shkreli: There are some ‘bright sides’ to prison

Former drug company CEO and recently-convicted felon Martin Shkreli says there are some “bright sides” to prison life, and that he has become involved in mentoring his fellow inmates, The New York Post reported Sunday.

“Things are not THAT awful here,” Shkreli wrote to friend Lisa Whisnant, underlining “THAT” three times, the New York Post reported.

{mosads}

“There are some bright sides. I am teaching these prisoners some new things and hopefully some ways to change their lives,” he added in the letter, which Whisnant shared with the news outlet.

Despite an uncomfortable bed and lack of sleep in “Club Fed,” as Shkreli once called it, he expressed optimism about coming together with the prisoners at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center.

Shkreli was placed behind bars in September after a Brooklyn federal court judge rescinded his bail after offering on Facebook a $5,000 reward for the person who successfully grabbed a sample of Hillary Clinton’s hair during her book tour.

While Shkreli apologized for unintentionally promoting “any act of violence whatsoever” with what he characterized as a joke, some saw the remark as a message encouraging assault against the former presidential candidate. 

“It never occurred to me that my awkward attempt at humor or satire would cause Mrs. Clinton or the Secret Service any distress,” Shkreli said in his letter to the judge, adding that he is “not a violent person.” 

Shkreli’s apology a week after posting the message came on the same day the former secretary of State kicked off the tour to promote her new book, “What Happened,” in which she shares her perspective of events during the 2016 presidential race.

The former CEO of Turing Pharmaceuticals was found guilty in August on three counts of deceiving investors in hedge funds and faces up to 20 years in prison — a conviction he said he plans to challenge.

Shkreli gained notoriety after hiking the price of a life-saving drug treatment that is mostly used by AIDS and cancer patients.