YouTube channel 8 Passengers presented Ruby Franke as a loving Mormon “momfluencer” who had a dedicated husband, Kevin, and six well-behaved children. But eventually cracks appeared in Ruby’s facade of perfection. In 2020, viewers learned her teenage son had been sleeping on a beanbag for months. The following year, she opted to withhold Christmas presents from her two youngest kids. In the end, Ruby’s controversial parenting turned criminal.
By May 2023, the Mormon mom had shut down 8 Passengers, separated from Kevin, and moved with two of their children into the home of her life coach, Jodi Hildebrandt. There, Ruby and Hildebrandt subjected the kids to horrific abuse. This came to light in late August 2023 when Ruby’s then-12-year-old son escaped the house and sought help from a neighbor. That December, Ruby pleaded guilty to child abuse.
The new Hulu docuseries Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke examines Ruby and the beliefs that drove her to hurt her children. The three-part series, which premiered Thursday, is the first time Kevin and the two oldest Franke children, Shari and Chad, have spoken at length about Ruby on camera. The documentary also includes previously unaired footage from the hit YouTube channel that initially put the Franke family in the spotlight.
As the Hulu show looks at Ruby’s past actions, you’re probably wondering what the 43-year-old’s life is like today. Here’s what to know about where Ruby Franke is imprisoned, how she spends her time there, when she’ll be released, and what contact she’s had with her family from behind bars.
Ruby Franke lives in the same prison unit as Jodi Hildebrandt
Ruby, offender number 262747, is incarcerated at the Utah State Correctional Facility, which is located five miles away from the Salt Lake City airport. USCF is a relatively new prison, having opened its doors in July 2022. It has a 3,600-bed capacity.
USCF’s units include women’s general population; men’s general population; restricted housing for men and women; and a mental health, medical, and geriatric unit. Ruby is one of nearly 375 women residing in the women’s general population unit, known as Dell. She is very familiar with one inmate in her unit: Jodi Hildebrandt.
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However, Karen Tapahe, a public information officer for the Utah Department of Corrections, tells Biography that Ruby and Hildebrandt are separated within the unit. “Although they are both in Dell, it is divided into a high side and a low side, and then several units within each of those sides. One of them is housed on the high side, and the other is housed on the low side,” Tapahe writes in an email.
Tapahe says past associations are always taken into account when deciding housing for inmates. In addition to their shared past, Ruby’s plea agreement called for her to testify against Hildebrandt. This turned out to be unnecessary, as Hildebrandt also agreed to plead guilty to child abuse, but it became another reason to keep the two apart.
She’s reportedly taking college courses behind bars
In her 2025 memoir The House of My Mother: A Daughter’s Quest for Freedom, Shari Franke wrote that she heard Ruby is working toward a degree while in prison. USCF inmates can earn college credits by taking classes with Salt Lake Community College. In addition, Davis Technical College offers courses and certification to inmates at USCF.
Other available activities at USCF include a library program, gym, religious services, and a community garden for female inmates.
Ruby has apparently had trouble adjusting to life in prison. Shari shared in her memoir that her mom has written letters to Kevin in which “she described sitting in her cell, crying the days away.” Yet her struggles haven’t resulted in any notable bad behavior. Tapahe tells Biography that Ruby has no listed disciplinary actions in her file.
Ruby doesn’t have contact with her estranged husband or kids
Ruby’s arrest and sentencing shattered her already tenuous relationships with her estranged husband and children. Kevin, who’d only had limited contact with Ruby after they separated in 2022, spoke with her via a few jailhouse phone calls after her arrest, but those soon ceased. Shari’s memoir made it clear Kevin isn’t responding to the letters Ruby has sent him from prison. He filed for divorce in November 2023 but hasn’t shared an update on the process since then.
In an interview with People, Shari said she doesn’t want to rebuild any relationship with Ruby. “Part of me feels guilty if I don’t forgive,” she admitted. “But I’ve come to realize that forgiveness for me just means that I don’t let her actions consume my thoughts.”
Chad Franke, the former couple’s oldest son, marked the one-year anniversary of his mother’s arrest on Snapchat with the words “Happy Prisonversary.”
Although Ruby’s sisters have also distanced themselves from her, other members of her family of origin have offered support. Ruby’s parents and her brother sent statements asking for compassion in her February 2024 sentencing. The two letters mentioned their belief that Ruby had been “brainwashed” by Hildebrandt.
“She has been taken advantage of by Ms. Hildebrandt,” her brother, Beau Griffiths, wrote. “As soon as Ruby was removed from the fog of the cult, she recognized she was wrong and was ready and willing to unfeignedly take responsibility for the wrongs she had done.”
Her parents, Jennifer and Chad Griffiths, wrote, “As her mother and father, we plead with you to show her as much mercy as you possibly can.” They also expressed the hope that Ruby would one day re-establish a relationship with her kids and that they “will find it in their hearts to forgive her.” Jennifer, Chad, and Beau haven’t publicly discussed what kind of contact they’ve maintained with Ruby during her time in prison.
Ruby’s first parole board hearing is in December 2026
Ruby was convicted of four charges of aggravated child abuse, each with a sentence range of one to 15 years. She has to serve these consecutively, so she’ll spend at least four years behind bars. Because Utah law sets a limit of 30 years for consecutive sentences (except for life sentences or capital punishment cases), Ruby’s maximum sentence is actually 30 years, not 60.
When she’ll be released is up to the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole. The process begins with the board holding what is known as an original hearing. Ruby’s original hearing is currently scheduled for December 2026. Before then, the board wants Ruby to attend cognitive behavioral therapy and have a mental health evaluation. Jennifer Yim, administrative director for the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole, tells Biography via email that these will be handled by the Department of Corrections.
Come December 2026, Yim explains, there are a few possible outcomes for the original hearing: The board could set a parole date, schedule another hearing, or decide that Ruby will serve a full 30 years. If the parole or rehearing date is far in the future, or if she’s ordered to complete her full sentence, Ruby could request that the board review her case five years after the previous hearing. Yim tells Biography the original hearing could also result in “orders related to other aspects of incarceration, such as assessment and programming.”
Victims can attend parole hearings, and Ruby’s underage children can choose different ways to participate. Yim writes that underage victims “have the option to represent themselves or have a designated victim representative represent them.” She adds, “All victims have the option of participating in writing, by phone, by video, or in person depending on their preferences.”
If Ruby were to serve the maximum sentence of 30 years, her release date from prison would be August 30, 2053.
Pending legislation might impact Ruby’s sentence
The Utah legislature is currently considering a bill that would make child torture a first-degree felony with a 10-year minimum sentence. Ruby’s convictions of aggravated child abuse are second-degree felonies. New legislation wouldn’t alter these convictions, but it could affect the number of years Ruby will spend locked up.
Eric Clarke, who prosecuted Ruby, supports the bill. “It sends a clear signal to the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole of how long the legislature intends for these people to be in prison, and the board can use that in how they handle people who are currently in prison,” he told KSL 5 TV. He also said that after handling Ruby’s case, “I was concerned that the punishment for child torture, I don’t feel it was proportionate to the severity of the crime.”
The legislature’s general session ends March 7.
Sara Kettler is a Connecticut-based freelance writer who has written for Biography.com, History, and the A&E True Crime blog. She’s a member of the Writers Guild of America and also pens mystery novels. Outside of writing, she likes dogs, Broadway shows, and studying foreign languages.
