Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of FTX who is currently in jail awaiting trial, is unlikely to have access to Adderall, as per federal prison guidelines.

Bankman-Fried’s legal team had previously raised concerns about him not receiving his prescribed ADHD medication while in jail.

Bankman-Fried was incarcerated at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, and his lawyers expressed their grievances regarding his lack of access to Adderall, which he takes for the treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). This deprivation reportedly persisted for 11 days since his detention.

However, the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), responsible for overseeing the Metropolitan Detention Center, generally refrains from supplying Adderall and similar stimulants to inmates. This policy is outlined in a “clinical guidance” document issued by the federal government in December 2021, emphasizing non-stimulant alternatives as the first-line treatment for adult ADHD in correctional settings due to concerns of misuse and diversion.

Bankman-Fried’s legal team argued that the lack of his prescribed ADHD medication hindered his ability to adequately prepare for his upcoming trial. Defense attorney Mark Cohen also lamented that Bankman-Fried had not been provided with vegan meals and was subsisting on a diet of bread, water, and sometimes peanut butter.

No dose

Despite an earlier court order by federal Judge Lewis Kaplan directing uninterrupted access to Bankman-Fried’s daily prescribed medications, he was not receiving his Adderall doses.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons, while declining to comment specifically on Bankman-Fried’s case for privacy and security reasons, stated that its guidelines do not necessarily prohibit inmates from obtaining Adderall if prescribed by a doctor. A spokesperson mentioned that incarcerated individuals at the Metropolitan Detention Center have access to appropriate healthcare and medicine, including Adderall when clinically indicated. The decision is typically made after a case-by-case evaluation and a brief procurement process.

Bankman-Fried has been vocal in the past about his use of Adderall and other cognitive-enhancing drugs. In a podcast interview from October 2020, he remarked that such medications could be “life-changing.”

The cryptocurrency mogul was ordered into federal jail earlier this month by Judge Kaplan for allegedly leaking the personal writings of his former business associate and ex-girlfriend, Caroline Ellison, to a New York Times reporter. Ellison, who has pleaded guilty to fraud charges and previously served as CEO of Alameda Research, Bankman-Fried’s cryptocurrency hedge fund, is expected to be a key witness at his trial. Bankman-Fried has denied all charges and entered a plea of not guilty.