Former governor may spend less time behind bars

Former Illinois Governor George Ryan could get out of federal prison early on a work release program. His lawyer, former Illinois Governor Jim Thompson,  says he’ll still appeal Ryan’s corruption convictions.

Ryan’s already spent five years in prison. Come the end of January, he’ll be released to a halfway house and will have to find a job. Thompson maintains prosecutors never proved charges that Ryan committed bribery - and he’ll continue appealing. Just this week, a federal appeals court denied another one of George Ryan’s bids to get out of prison before his six-and-a-half-year sentence is over.