Ryan is not the first politician to bypass a stay in a halfway house but it appears that is was more of a procedural action.
Ryan, 78, would need few if any of the house's services offered to ex-cons transitioning back to society.
When he arrived at near West Side house first thing Wednesday morning, Ryan hadn't brought a toothbrush.
He knew that he wasn't going to be staying at the Salvation Army facility; and wouldn't spend even one night there, according to federal authorities.
During his finals weeks in the Terre Haute, Ind. penitentiary, Ryan was informed that he was going to bypass a halfway house assignment and be allowed home confinement.
The U.S. Bureau of Prisons has that discretion and has several criteria for whether a released inmate should be allowed to stay clear of a halfway house.
Age and health, financial and family support, home stability and post-prison job needs are among the concerns.
Clearly Ryan fits the requirements, the taxpayers save money and a spot in the halfway house is opened up for somebody who needs it more.
