66 Comments - Anon. - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 6:37 am: Poor Scott. He could have asked to go back to the pen and finish his sentence. I worked with the Salvation Army more than 30 years ago when they established the facility. It has served it’s purpose much better than the old IDOC facility it replaced. - Newsclown - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 8:17 am: George is lucky and got off relatively easy. Now he’s done his time, its over. Hopefully, he’s a warning to others. - wordslinger - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 8:17 am: Ryan should be sent home, period, end of story. Justice is not served by squeezing the last day of time out of a non-violent offender who poses no threat to the community and who will turn 79 next month. What’s the point of the halfway house? I imagine he can handle his re-entry into society. Enough already. Slap an ankle bracelet on him and let him go home. - Stones - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 8:27 am: I agreed with the sentence but do feel a certain amount of empathy for him. His wife has passed and the world has changed since he left. While I think he needs to continue with the regular procedure, I am looking forward to hearing his first interview. He didn’t do himself any favors with the lack of contrition during his trial and sentencing. - 47th Ward - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 8:28 am: Good luck Governor Ryan. - Leave a Light on George - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 8:34 am: =Slap an ankle bracelet on him and let him go home.= My guess is that is what will happen in short order. Will just be done quietly with no announcement. - Enemy of the State - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 8:41 am: I want to read that resume. He can keep the checks. - frustrated GOP - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 8:52 am: Isn’t it time to really review this whole thing. We continue to throw people in jail costing us several Hundred $K not because they are a danger to us but because we don’t like them. Where does this make any sense? Explain the deterrence part of this. I hated Blago too, but do we really need to spend another million bucks on him too? This man should go home. What more can we take from him besides his life? Which as a remember, is not the sentence for taking a couple of free vacations. - VanillaMan - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 8:57 am: History has clearly shown that Illinois governors must include within their years in office, the years they will spend in prison when their terms expire, and plan accordingly. Ryan erred by becoming a governor late in life. Consequentially, he is now 79 and finishing up his time served. Being an Illinois public official requires careful planning to include prison time. A handy rule of thumb would be one year in jail for each criminal act in office. So, say you get elected and decide to immediately begin squeezing campaign contributions from reluctant donors in exchange for preferred state contracts, a popular approach to Illinois-style governing. Remember to add prison time to your elected years, so that you will be young enough to handle future prisoner relationships, marriages, or a gang related activity upon release. Once time has been served, political recidivism may return you to a new campaign. We’ve witnessed former congressmen running after their prison time, and even future felons reelected. Illinois politics offers a bright future for even the lowliest political scum! Remember, get elected while youthful enough for completely servicing office AND jail time! - Cheswick - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 8:57 am: I’m glad he’s getting out. I felt it was time some time ago. I guess the Bureau of Prisons feels they have to treat everyone the same, but the part about having to get a job at age 77 seems a little ridiculous. Hopefully, he will he be able to get his Social Security pension restored, so he won’t have to work when he gets back to Kankakee. Although, I’m sure his kids will see that he’s taken care of, no matter what. - Crime Fighter - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 9:16 am: At this time I can’t help but wonder about the victims of his crimes. - Plutocrat03 - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 9:28 am: Let the revisionist history begin. GR was convicted of real crimes committed during his terms of office. More could have been found, but the sentence he received was not too log. Appeals from his powerhouse defense firm were rebuffed time after time. That said, he did his time, time to focus on those who are currently committing crimes. I hate to agree with WS, but a work release for a person of 79 years is silly. Give him an ankle bracelet and some reasonable restrictions and get him off the public dime. No public interest will be served by keeping him in Chicago. - Crime Fighter - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 9:36 am: Plutocrat03 - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 9:28 am: That said, he did his time, time to focus on those who are currently committing crimes. I never thought I would sincerely send this to Plutocrat but - THANK YOU! * And the focus should not consist of lauding them for their outward “nice guy/ nice person” qualities while they commit crimes - The focus should be bringing them to justice, or at the very least -reigning them in. - siriusly - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 9:38 am: He did his time. But I agree that the Federal rules on this sort of thing seem a bit out of touch with reality. Probably our state DOC rules, and the whole concept of “corrections” are out of step too. Maybe a forward thinking candidate for governor will propose major changes to our justice and corrections systems. - shore - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 10:01 am: This is the only media market I have ever seen which has its own political pundit that focuses exclusively on politicians corrections system lifestyles. Fawell has made quite an industry of himself. - Loop Lady - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 10:04 am: I’m sure Jim Thompson will ride to Ryan’s rescue as he has repeatedly done in the past, to my utter dismay and disgust… - Hans Sanity - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 10:05 am: Forget the state work release program. Let WLS-TV or any of the other local Chi or downstate stations hire him to say he wants a few evenings a week for a while - Hans Sanity - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 10:06 am: TYPING SKILLS DETERIORATE Forget the state work release program. Let WLS-TV or any of the other local Chi or downstate stations hire him to say WHATEVER he wants a few evenings a week for a while - Wensicia - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 10:16 am: I wonder if now would be the appropriate time for Durbin to ask the president for a pardon or commute his sentence to time served. - NIref - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 10:26 am: There is blood on his hands, and he has yet to take responsibility or show regret for what he did. He can continue to rot for all I car. - RMW Stanford - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 10:38 am: George Ryan served his time and his sentence was appropriate for the crimes he committed. The whole half way house thing just shows yet another way that our criminal justice system is broken. - Huh? - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 10:41 am: Does he have the ability to get social security? Did he pay into social security while he was in office? - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 10:44 am: Common sense needs to prevail here. Send George home. Nothing is being gained by the Feds, or by George, by going through this process. Concur, electronic monitor, a Parole Officer and be done with this. Please. - Belle - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 10:49 am: Wonder if he should have spent closer to 17 yrs in the klink since Why should he ever appologize for his crimes? He’s no better than anyone else that spent time in jail and yet he is treated differently. - Jake From Elwood - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 10:57 am: Shore, you make a good point. But didn’t Rosty do some of this before he died? Fawell has sort of assumed his position. - wordslinger - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 10:59 am: –He’s no better than anyone else that spent time in jail and yet he is treated differently.– How has he been treated differently? - langhorne - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 11:05 am: send him to the halfway house for a couple weeks, then send him home. nothing more to be gained by incarceration. lessons on how to write a check? how about lessons on how to do online banking? and email and text w the grandkids. resume? JRT will prob make some calls to find someone to hire him, to give him some kind of income. - wordslinger - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 11:13 am: Jake, Shore, I’ve heard the Great Goo-Goo, Larry Bloom, hold court on his Oxford education, too. Despite the perverse pride some take in believing Illinois is uniquely corrupt, the idea doesn’t really hold up under scrutiny. Kerner is old news and got caught doing business as usual by a rather ambitious U.S. Attorney (what was his name? Big fella). Walker was long gone as governor when he got in trouble. I didn’t think Ryan committed crimes of the century. Blago, on the other hand, was a walking, talking (and talking and talking) corruption machine. He really is responsible more than anyone for whatever poor reputation Illinois has on that front. Here’s a couple links on how the states measure up. http://www.governing.com/blogs/by-the-numbers/state-public-corruption-convictions-data.html http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/14/weekinreview/14marsh.html?_r=0 - Anonymous - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 11:26 am: frustrated GOP’s post is intriguing, and Plutocrat03’s “Let the revisionist history begin” is highly insightful and prophetic. I wonder how many who originally vehemently opposed Ryan’s earlier release and applauded what others identified as “too stiff” of a sentence might flip flop in future (given the “right” circumstances) by trying to change their tune. Having said that (and staying consistent with my original views), the “halfway house” policy seems to be missing an “if, then, else” statement. What are the chances that a 77(?) year old is going to find a job? And if he does, chances are it’s not going to be because of a well-written resume. Give him an option that will psychologically help him “adjust” better than any other: Halfway house or hand him a bracelet and let him go home to his family and friends where they can help him with his resume if he needs one. - dupage dan - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 11:32 am: As much as I dislkike the former governor, I think the whole halfway house thing is a waste of time unless you consider the fact that he didn’t cash a check during his tenure as governor what with all the cash he was getting, at least that is what I remember from the criminal trial. Anyway, a refresher course might be in order. He could take the course at home online. Let him go. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 11:34 am: To Bill, “Good trip, good life, get out soon.”, “Good trip, sweetheart” - MrJM - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 11:40 am: Good luck, Governor Ryan. – MrJM - Red Ranger - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 11:46 am: This is the same half-way house Betty Loren Maltese was in when she got out. If my memory serves me correctly, she was in there for about a week and then got to go home. I bet the same thing happens here. - 13thOne - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 11:54 am: “Now take me to jail” - 13thOne - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 11:55 am: “Tomorrow we eat sangwhiches” - The Historian - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 11:58 am: NIref up above correctly cites “blood on his hands,” but otherwise there are 32 comments here without one single mention of the Willis children. Six, remember? Was 1994 *that* long ago??? - wordslinger - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 12:03 pm: –NIref up above correctly cites “blood on his hands,”– Which count of his conviction does that refer to? Believe me, I know what you’re referring to. But we’re a nation of laws, right? - foster brooks - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 12:08 pm: Can anyone ricite the oath of office for the governor? - wordslinger - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 12:16 pm: Meanwhile: –Europe’s largest bank will avoid a potentially crippling criminal prosecution for its role in moving cash for known terror groups, Mexican drug cartels, and rogue governments such as Iran, instead agreeing to pay a record $2 billion settlement, U.S. Justice Department officials announced at a press conference today. No one indicted. –Washington, D.C., July 15, 2010 — The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that Goldman, Sachs & Co. will pay $550 million and reform its business practices to settle SEC charges that Goldman misled investors in a subprime mortgage product just as the U.S. housing market was starting to collapse.– No one indicted. –In one of the largest settlements of suits tied to the financial crisis, Citigroup Inc. C -0.08% agreed to pay $590 million over claims that it deceived investors by hiding the extent of its dealings in toxic subprime debt.– No one indicted. And on, and on and on. The lesson: Steal big. - Lobo Y Olla - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 12:17 pm: Which count of his conviction does that refer to? Believe me, I know what you’re referring to. But we’re a nation of laws, right? Was Al Capone a gangster? Seems he was only convicted of tax evasion. - Rich Miller - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 12:21 pm: ===The lesson: Steal big. === I would add: And make sure everyone knows you have the ability to crash the world economy so you can’t be touched without fear of triggering yet another crash. - Newsclown - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 12:47 pm: He should do the transitional time: it was part of a trade-off on his sentence, so he could spend less “hard time”. The sentence was important as an object lesson to future pols, and it was appropriate to the offense. We have a new day and a new way today. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 12:52 pm: ===NIref up above correctly cites “blood on his hands,”=== The man is 79, he did hid time, as described by a Federal Judge, who presided of the case that found the man Guilty. What more than what the Federal Judge gave him, do you expect? “Nah, 6 years, what we really need is 600 years!” The Rule of Law doesn’t work that way. And in this case, as in so many, sometimes, for everyone involved in a case, it might not work for ANYONE involved. It’s time. Let the man go home to what is left in his life. - Anonymous - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 1:06 pm: =We have a new day and a new way today.= Newsclown, are you saying that the crimes stay the same, but the methodologies for committing those crimes vary today? (Just trying to understand the statement. Thanks.) - wordslinger - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 2:02 pm: –Was Al Capone a gangster? Seems he was only convicted of tax evasion.– Yes, he was a gangster and he was only convicted of tax evasion. He did his time for that and was released. Al Capone certainly committed other crimes he was not convicted of. Some of those included premeditated murder. Is that what you’re accusing George Ryan of regarding the Willis children? There was a chain of events that led to an accident horrible beyond belief. Any slight alteration in those events, by even a few seconds, by any number of players, would have resulted in a different conclusion. If you’re advancing some Kass-logic proposal that George Ryan is guilty of murdering those children because some flunky in the SOS office, participating in a long-standing practice of meeting his fundraising quota, issued a license he should not have, I reject that. I’m sure Mr. and Mrs. Willis disagree. As would I, if I were them. But the rest of us don’t have the right to appropriate their unimaginable sorrow for our own purposes and call it justice. - VanillaMan - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 2:05 pm: The bigger the governments, the bigger the cash flow. The bigger the cash flows, the bigger the crimes. When the money spent is someone else’s, and the money wasted is mind-bogglingly huge, the amount of corruption escalates. The more we’re taxed, the more we’re burglarized. Its where the money is today. Big government proponents too often ignore the crimes and immoral waste of tax money their faith generates. Legislators and politicians always deliver less than expected, so no hurtle is too low for them to slink under. You want big government? That’s what you are realistically advocating as well. We can’t afford it. - BMAN - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 2:08 pm: Illinois must be vigilent in prosecuting political corruption and make those convicted do their time. Otherwise there is no deterent. To those who are sympathetic, did you ever figure out how much those crimes cost Illinois? Of course not, you couldn’t begin to enumerate all the costs. My heart goes out to the Willis family. For George and Bill, Too bad so sad. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 2:19 pm: - BMAN -, So, what is the total cost? What is the total cost? Did you figure it out? Do you know what it is? A federal prosecutor won a case against Geo. H. Ryan. Ryan lost his appeals, did his time, as prescribed by the federal judge that heard the case against Ryan. How anyone can claim, very specifically to the Willis family, what is appropriate still boggles my mind. Mr. Ryan has done his time, time actually being “in” a prison, and still, there is a question of “enough” justice served. I don’t have the first clue if that is enough time for you, or what enough time would be enough. What I do know, for me, at 79, losing everything, including his wife while in prison, and those 6 years, I do have sympathy that GHR has now … done enough. ===Illinois must be vigilent in prosecuting political corruption and make those convicted do their time. Otherwise there is no deterent.=== There are 3 pending right now, (Beavers, Smith, Jackson) and Rep. Ford indicted as well. How is that rightous “deterent” working out for you, - BMAN -? - MrJM - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 2:51 pm: Word & Rich, Be sure to record this week’s episode of Frontline: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/untouchables/ – MrJM - Leave a Light on George - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 3:14 pm: =Chris Burke, spokesman for the Federal Bureau of Prisons, said that it is likely that Ryan and Cellini would see each other at the institution.= Pot meet kettle. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 3:19 pm: “George” “Bill” “See you in 9 months” “Yeah, take care …” - BMAN - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 3:39 pm: oswego willy, I respect the compassion of your response and maybe when I am 79, I too will feel the way you do. Right now, that rightous “deterent” is working out just fine. I choose to be neither a politician or a criminal! - wordslinger - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 3:42 pm: –I would add: And make sure everyone knows you have the ability to crash the world economy so you can’t be touched without fear of triggering yet another crash. – It’s the duty of this generations of grownups, of capitalists, to get a handle on this. Let’s get real: anything that has to do with money, pay attention to the zeroes on the right until you get to the decimal point. That’s where the business is. These guys are robbing us blind. They wiped out your home equity (the gut punch to the economy; we’re still sucking air), your 401K and your public pension funds (climbing back now, but what a hit). They’re not your local community bankers from when you were a kid, in for the long run, soberly weighing risk. They’re punks, looking for quick scores, cashing out and moving on in a hurry. You can make tens of millions hitting your number for two quarters. If it all falls apart after that, you’ve already taken your cash off the table. Finance was never supposed to be the big deal in capitalism. It was the grease on the joints, not the steel or the idea. Finance was bringing borrowers and investors together to produce something. Now, it’s all finance — derivatives, trading, like bookies, just working it for the juice. The Big Banks have not always been that big. They have not always been too big to fail. Today, six banks control 60% of the Western World’s asset — and they’re FDIC insured. Not only are they too big to fail, they’re too big to reasonably assess their own risks. Jamie Dimon went in front of the Senate and told them he had no idea how JPMorgan lost $6 billion gambling in a New York minute, because the joint was too big. But if they go down, we’re all on the hook. You can scream all you want about taxes, trade, regulation, blah, blah, blah, but if we don’t get a handle on the outlaw bankers, all your labor, all your savings, all your dreams, are at risk. - Norseman - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 3:42 pm: Word and Willy, I totally agree with you. As usual, you eloquently stated these views better than I. - Arthur Andersen - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 3:57 pm: Willy, I agree with your thoughts 100%. OTOH, Beavers and Smith may be a little more “pending” on the Federal docket than Trips unless AA missed something while going 24-7 on the First Lady’s frocks and Beyonce’s lips. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 4:03 pm: First … - AA - Apoligies, thanks for the “clean-up” and for putting me in my place so comically. - BMAN - ===Right now, that rightous “deterent” is working out just fine. I choose to be neither a politician or a criminal!=== I am unaware that the federal prosecuters needed the “deterent factor” in regards to you … personally. If that is, indeed, what you mean, congrats to you both. Wow. - Plutocrat03 - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 4:16 pm: Argh, agreeing with WS twice in one day maybe more than I can stand…. The Willis tragedy is not something you can honestly tie around GR neck. The details are far beyond the scope of a blog like this, but Secretary of States portion of the blame is not as large as some on the media have tried to make us believe. As far as the criminal behavior of those in the banking industry, the behavior will continue until the incarceration a begin. Too much reward to balance not enough personal pain. When the Treasury Department is a revolving door for these folks, there is little hope for justice to prevail. - Jaded - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 4:24 pm: I am sure putting Bill Cellini in the clink for 9 months is a huge deterent. Assuming the ticker holds up, he will be home for Christmas. As far as GHR goes, it is hard to improve upon what Word and OW have written, except to add that he was the last competent Governor of Illinois, and that was 10 years and 3 elections ago. Pretty sad. - wordslinger - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 4:28 pm: –Argh, agreeing with WS twice in one day maybe more than I can stand….– LOL, Pluto, reject the Dark Side… - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 4:28 pm: ===and maybe when I am 79,=== I am not 79, was referrring to GHR. At the age that I am, I still feel that compassion, and believe in the rule of law and justice and the imperfection. I hope I still believe in it when I turn 79 (Good Lord Willing…)as well. - wordslinger - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 4:35 pm: –As far as the criminal behavior of those in the banking industry, the behavior will continue until the incarceration a begin. Too much reward to balance not enough personal pain. When the Treasury Department is a revolving door for these folks, there is little hope for justice to prevail.– Pluto, I agree 100%. How in the world we went through a presidential election with Know-Ba-Dee even mentioning this historic robbery is a grave testament of how hosed we are on this front and the work we have to do get out from under. Pluto, dude — we think alike - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 5:11 pm: - Norseman -, Thanks. Kind words, but I defer to - wordslinger - on eloquence. - wishbonelpable - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 6:01 pm: “Let the revisionist history begin. GR was convicted of real crimes committed during his terms of office.” Amen. His (and unfortunately his family’s) arrogance and sense of entitlement is palpable. Never an acknowledgement of his crimes or an apology from him. - robert lincoln - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 7:04 pm: It’s times like this where I would love to know what sentence you were advocating before his conviction and what you wrote after the judge sentenced him. If he was serving his last 6 months in the clink, none of you would be complaining or even commenting. The fed lets him out and now the apologists come out. It is thought that no longer being behind bars and in a halfway house is better than being in jail. As said previously, if he doesn’t want to be with his fellow criminals at the halfway house I’m sure he can ask to go back to the prison. - robert lincoln - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 7:27 pm: BTW, I have now looked back and the only person who commented under their current name is Vanilla Man who stated “Rest of his life in jail”. Way to remain consistent VM. - wordslinger - Tuesday, Jan 22, 13 @ 8:02 pm: –Author: robert lincoln Comment: BTW, I have now looked back and the only person who commented under their current name is Vanilla Man who stated “Rest of his life in jail”. Way to remain consistent VM.– That sounds abought right. See you in church. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.