Keep Sweet: Where is Warren Jeffs now? Is he still alive?

Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey is a new investigative true crime documentary series on Netflix about self-proclaimed prophet Warren Jeffs and his dealings with the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS), a secretive cult and off-shoot of the far-right church.

This multi-million dollar church became known for practicing polygamy and marrying off very young women to much older men. Previously known as “The Fundamentalists,” FLDS came to power after mainstream Mormonism outlawed polygamy. Members of this group believed plural wives is what Christ wanted as it meant bringing more children into the world and the more children you had the higher your place in heaven would be.

At the center of this documentary is Warren Jeffs and his criminal case, but the refreshing thing about Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey is we get to see this story told through the eyes of the victims, many who were forcibly married to their cousins or men decades older than them when they were very young, some even underage.

Below we’ll look into where Jeffs is today and his continued presence within the FLDS.

Is Keep Sweet documentary subject Warren Jeffs still alive?

Yes, Jeffs is alive and incarcerated at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice’s Louis C. Powledge Unit, near Palestine, Texas.

Where is Warren Jeffs now? Is he still part of the FDLS?

In 2007, Warren was convicted of two counts of first-degree felony rape as an accomplice because he married Elissa Wall to her 19-year-old first cousin Allen Steed when she was only 14. In 2010, while he was serving his consecutive sentences, the convictions were overturned by the Utah Supreme Court.

Then, as you’ll see in the documentary series, an additional investigation into the YFZ Ranch, specifically the temple, led to the chilling discovery of the church’s records room, including horrific audio recordings of so-called “sacred sessions,” which reportedly revealed Jeffs was sexually assaulting girls as young as 12 in front of his sister wives.

In 2011, Jeffs was convicted on two counts of sexual assault of child and subsequently sentenced to life in prison, plus an additional 20 years. He had 78 wives by the time he went to prison, and according to Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey, 24 of them were under the age of 17.

Sadly, the FLDS is still very much alive with thousands of members across the country and Jeffs even has devoted followers who still believe him to be the prophet. He is still running the church from prison and releasing “revelations.”

Could Warren Jeffs ever get out of prison?

Bustle reported on this question, noting that it was unlikely Jeffs would ever be released due to the severity of his sentence. At minimum he will be spending 45 years in prison before becoming eligible for parole.

Jeffs was 55 when he received his sentencing, so even if he only served the minimum of 45 years, he would still be 100 by the time he could possibly be granted parole. It does not seem likely that he’ll ever get out.

Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey is now streaming on Netflix.