Luxury drinks, massages and services from fellow inmates: Diddy’s prison privileges and the penalty that delayed his release

Sean “Diddy” Combs allegedly enjoyed unusual conditions behind bars: expensive drinks, specially prepared meals, massages, an illicit cellphone and help from other inmates who cooked, did his laundry and cleaned the toilet. The details were made public in an NBC News investigation.

But those privileges appear to have come at a steep cost for the 56-year-old music producer. Corrections officials at the federal prison in Fort Dix, New Jersey, took away 41 days of his good-conduct time, pushing his scheduled release from January to March 2028.

The sanction that delayed his release

According to NBC News, the disciplinary action against Combs was taken over conduct that threatens security or disrupts the orderly operation of the facility.

Jose Rojas, secretary of the AFGE Local 506 union and a person familiar with the matter, said the loss of 41 days of good-conduct time is among the harshest penalties an inmate can receive.

He explained that such a penalty is often imposed when illicit cellphones are found in prisons.

According to Rojas, the use of such devices is considered particularly serious because an inmate could use a phone from inside the facility to arrange an attack on another person.

In Diddy’s case, reports have said he had obtained a cellphone that he allegedly used, among other things, to view nude and sexually explicit photos sent to him by his former partner.

However, authorities have not officially confirmed that this use of the phone was the reason for the disciplinary action.

His new release date is March 2, 2028; it had previously been set for January 21, 2028.

Special services in prison

Scrutiny of Combs’ conditions in custody intensified in late September, after NBC News published a detailed report on his time in pretrial detention.

Four inmates who had stayed in the same wing as him described a reality very different from what is usually associated with American prisons.

According to their accounts, Diddy spent thousands of dollars a month on various services and conveniences.

Some inmates prepared special meals for him, including chicken curry, pizza and empanadas. Others made his bed, did his laundry and sorted his mail.

Another inmate, according to the accounts, cleaned the toilet and shower area before the music producer used them.

Combs also allegedly received Chinese-style massages and had access to alcoholic drinks, including Hennessy cognac, even though such things are restricted in prison.

“These are not normal things you see in prison. These are rich-people things,” one inmate told NBC.

“It sounds crazy, but then again, this is Diddy,” he added.

The cellphone and confinement in the SHU

Reports that the 56-year-old had used a cellphone, despite such devices being prohibited in federal prisons, prompted widespread reaction.

NBC News obtained photos and videos recorded inside the prison in which Combs appears to be using a device suspected to be an illicit cellphone.

The device allegedly allowed him to communicate with the outside world and view material that inmates are not permitted to access.

After the report was published, Combs was transferred, according to NBC and TMZ, to a special unit known as the Special Housing Unit, or SHU. The unit is also used to hold inmates in isolation.

TMZ sources said the transfer is standard procedure when authorities investigate possible violations of prison rules.

The U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons has not officially confirmed the details of his conditions in custody, citing inmate privacy, safety and security.

Response from Diddy’s representatives

When NBC News sought comment, a spokesperson for Combs said he had not been informed of any specific disciplinary action against him.

He also criticized the media’s continued focus on the artist.

“It is interesting that the focus continues to be on Sean, while the reporting itself raises broader questions about what happens inside federal prisons and how information gets out,” the spokesperson said.

He added that the artist’s representatives had received no official findings or explanation concerning the sanction and therefore did not want to speculate about its basis or consequences.

“Sean remains committed to serving his sentence and returning to his family,” he concluded.

The 50-month sentence

Sean “Diddy” Combs, the founder of Bad Boy Records and one of hip-hop’s most influential figures in recent decades, is serving a 50-month prison sentence.

In 2025, he was found guilty on two counts related to transporting people for the purpose of engaging in prostitution.

The court, meanwhile, acquitted him of the more serious charges of sex trafficking and participating in a criminal organization.

He is serving his sentence at the low-security federal prison in Fort Dix, New Jersey.

The latest developments have added to the public debate in the United States about his case, with attention now focused on how he was treated inside the prison.

For Diddy, the allegations of privileged treatment have had a concrete consequence: 41 more days behind bars, provided the length of his sentence does not change again.