Federal Inmate number 16627-424, better known as former Illinois Governor George Ryan, is done serving time. IPR’s Robert Wildeboer reports:
Ryan reported to the Oxford federal prison in Wisconsin almost 6 years ago.
He was moved to Terra Haute Indiana in early 2008 and that’s where he stayed until January of this year when he was allowed to finish up his sentence on home confinement.
Ryan’s conviction cost him his state pension.
Andrea Lyon was one of the attorneys who represented the former governor for free.
LYON: He has nothing. Some social security, they couldn’t take that from him, but you know the house is paid for and his family is helping him as much as they can, I mean, he’s poor.
While he was in prison Ryan’s wife of 55 years Lura Lynn died though he was allowed to be in the hospital with her the night of her death.
Lyon says the former governor still has to do a year of supervised release during which time he’ll have to periodically check in with parole officers.