George Ryan home after spending just hours at halfway house

Former Governor George Ryan.By Angie Leventis and Annie Sweeney Tribune reporters 1:56 p.m. CST, January 30, 2013

Former Gov. George Ryan spent just hours at a halfway house on Chicago’s West Side this morning before he was released and sent to his Kankakee home, where he will be on home confinement until he completes his 6 ½-year sentence.

Ryan will not have to wear an electronic monitor while under house arrest, according to his lawyer, former Gov. Jim Thompson.

“I think it was a wise decision by the Bureau of Prisons, but it’s not something I asked for, it’s not something he asked for. So it is in no way preferential treatment,” Thompson said.

George Ryan home after spending just hours at halfway house