Steve McBee Sr. Sends First Message from Prison, Shares What Life's Like Behind Bars

Steve McBee Sr. is sending fans a message from prison ahead of the holidays.

The McBee Dynasty: Real American Cowboys star's son, Cole McBee, shared a note from the family patriarch, 52, via Instagram on Wednesday, Dec. 17.

In a video message posted to the elder McBee's official page, Cole was joined by fiancée Kacie Adkison and 11-month-old daughter, Blair, as he gave viewers an "update" on his dad. The message comes as the family patriarch was sentenced to 24 months in prison in October after pleading guilty to one count of federal crop insurance fraud.

"He's doing alright," Cole said. "He's getting used to it and he has something he wants me to read off for you guys."

In his message, Steve Sr. offered his "sincerest thank you" to fans for their "thoughts and prayers as our family tries to navigate this life-changing situation."

"He's doing as well as could be expected under the current circumstances as he gets adjusted to a life in federal prison," Cole said, sharing that his dad can now receive mail and has been "very busy between classes and working at the rec center until about 8 p.m. every evening."

He added, "By the time he showers and eats, he only has about an hour before the 10 p.m. count and lights out. But he does read every single letter and said he looks forward to it every single night."

Cole then posted his dad's address and reiterated that, while he can't respond to every fan, he "reads every letter" and that his roommates look forward to them. "He said not the private ones, though, he doesn't read those ones off."

"Again, he just wanted to say thank you for all the love and support. And he's getting through," Cole said. "Obviously, he is in federal prison; it's not great. It ain't like he's living the life. It's a change, and it's different. But he's a very optimistic person, and he takes it one day at a time."

The family update comes just weeks after Steve Sr. self-surrendered to federal prison in Yankton, S.D., on Dec. 1 . The reality star and McBee Farming Operations owner's guilty plea in November served as an admission that he “engaged in fraudulent activity from 2018 to 2020 that caused an economic loss to the U.S. Department of Agriculture,” according to a DOJ press release.

Since pleading guilty, Steve Sr. told PEOPLE that he intended to ask President Donald Trump for a pardon in his federal crop insurance fraud case. At the time, he said he was "meeting with pardon attorneys" and "putting everything together to fill out the application and turn everything in." He's also been receiving advice from fellow formerly-imprisoned reality star Todd Chrisley.

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"It's a long, drawn-out, extensive process," Steve Sr. said. "I'm very hopeful that the pardon could take place based on the details of the situation. I feel so privileged that I even have the avenue to do that. I'll be so glad just to get the pardon application filed, and whatever happens happens."

He later added, "Obviously, we hope for the best and pray for the best, but the storm is finally clearing. A captain doesn't become a skilled captain on calm water; they learn how to navigate through storms. This was certainly a level five hurricane, but when the storm breaks, you smell the fresh, clean air. We're starting to come out of that, so I'm feeling a lot better."