The mastermind behind the college admissions scandal that saw wealthy parents paying tens of thousands of dollars to bribe their children into school started his 42-month prison sentence today.

Rick Singer checked in to the Federal Prison Camp Pensacola in Florida to begin his three-and-a-half years in prison for his role in the scandal, which also landed the likes of celebrities Felicity Huffman and Lori Laughlin behind bars.

For years, Singer took upwards of $500,000 from well-heeled parents and then fabricated their kids resumes, faked their standardized test scores, and bribed college officials into admitting them.

The schemer plead guilty to the crimes shortly after they came to light in 2019, and after cooperating with investigators he was sentenced in January to just over half of the original six-year sentence prosecutors sought.

FPC Pensacola has a reputation for being one of America's cushiest federal prisons, with some insiders likening it to a 'college dorm room.' Despite its reputation, life inside remains strict and sees inmates rising at 4:45am every morning and working prison jobs throughout the day.

Over the course the admission scheme, Singer amassed at least $25million in wealth, and lived in a sprawling 5,157 square-foot mansion.

Shortly after pleading guilty to racketeering, money laundering, tax evasion, and obstruction of justice in March 2019, he sold the house for $2.525million.

But he was forced to hand over everything he made from the sale to federal authorities as a part of his plea deal.

Since selling his mansion, Singer lived in a trailer in St. Petersburg, Florida, but on Monday traded its corrugated metal walls in for prison bars.

FPC Pensacola has a reputation for being when of the most 'comfortable' federal prisons in the country, according to a report by WGRZ-TV in October 2020.

'There aren't any barbed wire fences and so on. There's obviously security and guards but it's not a place that you're going to find serious, dangerous criminals,' he said.

An admission and orientation manual accessible on the prison's website published in January 2018 said that the facility has athletic fields, including basketball and volleyball courts.

It also provides educational opportunities and vocational training, and communal television viewing rooms for inmates.

Despite its offerings, the prison remains strict for inmates.

At FPC, Singer will be required to wear a uniform of white socks, black steel-toed boots and matching green pants and shirt, according to documents obtained by TMZ.

After lights flip on at the crack of dawn, breakfast is served between 5am and 6am.

Inmates then have until 6:30am to make their beds and ensure that their cells are spotless.

Throughout the day inmates serve in a work detail - which could consist of library work, landscaping work, or prison housekeeping work - which carries through as late as 5pm.

Inmates are served lunch at 11am, dinner for an hour at 4:30pm, and then it's mail distribution before inmates are sent back to their cells and lights go down at 10:30pm.

Singer will be able to participate in team sports including basketball, softball, volleyball and soccer, or weight training.

There are also activities like woodworking, arts and crafts and academic classes.

Most inmates are allowed up to five visitors at a time during evening visiting hours on Fridays, and during the day on weekends.

The prison has housed some notable inmates over the years.

Reality star Todd Chrisley is currently serving a 12-year sentence at FPC Pensacola for tax evasion and multiple fraudulent loan claims totaling $30 million.

Other inmates have included former congressman Chris Collins, who was convicted of insider trading but was later pardoned by former US President Donald Trump, and former NBA referee Tim Donaghy, who was caught up in a gambling scandal.

For their parts in the college admissions scheme, Loughlin spent two months in federal prison, and Hoffman served two weeks.

About fifty people were charged in the scandal.