Former Illinois governor George Ryan was released from a Terre Haute, Ind. prison this morning and was sent to a halfway house on Chicago's West Side.

Just hours later, Ryan was sent to his Kankakee home to serve out the remainder of his six-and-a-half year sentence. Ryan will be under house arrest, but will not be required to wear a monitoring device.

Ryan's sentence is set to end in July. His attorney, former Illinois governor Jim Thompson, says 78 year-old Ryan may work on death penalty issues after his sentence is over.

"Today is another step in a long journey for George Ryan," Thompson told the press. "He would like me to tell you he's grateful to leave the penitentiary. He's grateful also for the encouragement and support from many people. He has paid a severe price. The loss of his wife and brother while he was in the penitentiary, the loss of his pension, his office, his good name and 5 1/2 years of imprisonment. Now near 80 years old, that is a significant punishment. But he is going to go forward."

The former Republican governor is serving time after being convicted in 2006 of corruption, tax fraud, racketeering, and giving false information to the FBI.