# What is it like to be in the Witness Protection Program?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-like-to-be-in-the-witness-protection-program/67004>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 30, 2001, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-like-to-be-in-the-witness-protection-program/67004 "2001-05-30T17:46:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2001, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-like-to-be-in-the-witness-protection-program/67004/1 "2001-05-30T17:46:36Z")

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Has anybody ever voluntarily left the witness protection program to tell us? Has anybody ever been found from the witness protection program? What is the procedure for entering the witness protection program? What precautions to they take to prevent people from being found?

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**Author:** ![Mr.Cynical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ee59a6/32.png) [@Mr.Cynical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Cynical)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2001, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-like-to-be-in-the-witness-protection-program/67004/2 "2001-05-30T19:42:41Z")

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I could answer those questions, but then I’d have to kill you. Sorry.

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**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2001, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-like-to-be-in-the-witness-protection-program/67004/3 "2001-05-30T19:54:38Z")

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If memory serves, Sammy “The Bull” Gravano came out of the Program, in effect anyway, when he published his book _Underboss_. Granted, the book itself is about his time in the life, not his time in the Program, so I don’t know if that counts as an answer.

Seems like I have heard interviews, though. His might be a name worth searching on.

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**Author:** ![GilaB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@GilaB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GilaB)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2001, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-like-to-be-in-the-witness-protection-program/67004/4 "2001-05-31T00:32:07Z")

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A few years back the New York Times Magazine had a cover article on this very subject, following a family into the program. They changed some of the details, of course. I don’t remember how long ago this was (within the last five years, though), but if you run a search for it on their website you might find it.