Lori Loughlin could be facing real jail time for her involvement in the recent college admissions bribery scandal, so she's doing her best to prepare for the worst.
The "Fuller House" star reportedly hired a prison expert to show her the ropes in case her upcoming court proceedings go south. Both she and husband Mossimo Giannulli, who've pleaded not guilty, are set to stand trial later this year after allegedly paying to get their daughters into college on false pretenses.
"She has someone who is advising her what to do in case she loses her case and goes to prison," an insider revealed to People mag on Jan. 3. "The advisor is there to help her learn the ropes. That's not to be construed that she thinks she's going to lose her case. Lori is a planner, and she is doing what she needs to do for all contingencies."
In reality, Lori is facing up to 45 years behind bars if she's convicted on the charges against her, which include conspiracy to commit money laundering, mail and wire fraud, and federal programs bribery.
She hired the consultant as an insurance policy to ensure she doesn't do the wrong things in jail, especially going in as a "green" celebrity with a target already on her back.
"The whole point is to have someone tell her how to keep herself safe," the source continued. "She needs to keep a low profile if she's incarcerated. Obviously, she's going to stand out, because of all the publicity and because she's a star."
But Lori is trying to look at her current situation as a "learning experience" to grow from. "She wants to understand what the experience will be like," the insider said, "and how to not only survive it, but flourish in it."
She and Mossimo are accused of paying consultant Ricky Singer $500K to help their daughters, Isabella Giannulli, 21, and Olivia Jade Giannulli, 20, get into the University of Southern California by faking their participation as athletes on the crew team.
Their lawyers claim they had no idea the money they handed over would be used as a bribe and thought it was merely a donation to Ricky's nonprofit, Key Worldwide Foundation.
But since fellow actress Felicity Huffman was recently sentenced to 14 days for her implication in the scandal, Lori realizes the prospect of jail time isn't too far off.
"Prison is a very different world than Hollywood, and Lori is just trying to be prepared," the source added. "She's preparing for the worst, but hoping for the best."
Unlike Lori, Felicity took full responsibility for her involvement from the beginning. She admitted to paying Rick $15K to help her daughter get a higher SAT score by cheating the system.