Allison Mack goes to jail: How long will the actress serve?

Actress Allison Mack started her sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, CA. Ironically, this comes almost three years after she pleaded guilty back in April 2019.

OG Smallville fans were shocked when the FBI arrested Allison Mack in April 2018. They were even more shocked to learn her charges included sex trafficking. As the story unfolded & the sordid details emerged, Mack began facing increasingly hostile public scrutiny.

Many had hoped Allison Mack would face the full punishment for her crimes. However, the justice system is still skewed in the favor of the financially well-off. Will Mack’s jail sentence reflect this unfortunate reality or will she face proper punishment?

Cult

Keith Raniere & Nancy Salzman founded NXIVM in 1998. Their alleged purpose was fostering personal development in its members. So, they offered self-improvement techniques through programs such as their Executive Success Program (ESP).

Despite their promises of self-improvement, NXIVM began facing allegations of cult-like behaviors as early as 2003. Cult investigator Rick Alan Ross obtained copies of an alleged secret manual supposedly detailing brainwashing methods.

NXIVM took Ross to court in the NXIVM Corp. v. Ross Institute case. They claimed the documents were obtained illegally. This was an attempt to disallow Ross using them in a separate case. The judge ruled in Ross’s favor. Actress Allison Mack became involved soon after.

Allegations

Once the courts started paying attention to NXIVM, so did the media & what they investigated was truly shocking. In October 2017, The New York Times published an article revealing a secret sect of NXIVM called Dominus Obsequious Sororium (DOS).

DOS was allegedly a secret sisterhood started in 2015 in which female members were referred to as slaves. Many victims came forward with accusations of DOS subjecting them to corporal punishment.

They also accused DOS, & NXIVM by proxy, of forcing them to turn over potentially damaging information about themselves. This was, presumably, for blackmail purposes. This was in addition to allegations against DOS, including actress Allison Mack, of forcing members into sexual slavery.

In March 2018, founder Raniere was arrested & indicted. Among his many charges were conspiracy to commit forced labor & multiple sex trafficking-related allegations. His attempt to flee those charges ended with him being arrested in Mexico.

Criminally Branded

Like NXIVM itself, the courts had been conducting their case against Raniere & Co. with only minor media interest. Actress Allison Mack’s revealed involvement gained the case mainstream attention. The more details were revealed, the more interest it gained.

Mack’s initial arrest in April 2018 was a result of her being charged with forced labor conspiracy, sex trafficking, & sex trafficking conspiracy. For example, many victims alleged Mack blackmailed them into non-consensual sexual conduct with Raniere.

Mack allegedly attempted to diminish the severity of her charges by downplaying her part in NXIVM. However, she was named as second-in-command to Raniere. She was also accused of having begun the practice of branding women with her & Raniere’s initials.

Many have described NXIVM as a cult, a sex-trafficking ring, a sex cult, & a pyramid scheme. Actress Allison Mack’s involvement in such criminal endeavors eventually led to her being sentenced to three years at the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, CA.

Hulu

When a court case gains mainstream interest, Hulu gets involved. They currently have two documentaries covering the details of the case against NXIVM. HBO Max also has a docuseries on NXIVM called The Vow – season 2, covering Keith Raniere’s trial, was announced last fall. 

Journalist Elizabeth Vargas covers the case in episode one of Cults & Extreme Belief. The show takes a general look at controversial organizations with the aim of deconstructing them for the general public.

Seduced: Inside the NXIVM Cult focuses solely on survivor India Oxenberg’s experience as a former member of the alleged cult. Originally airing on Starz, Oxenberg starts with the process of being brought into the cult and how she eventually breaks free.