Jan 7, 2008 8:25 pm US/Eastern
Vick Finishing 23-Month Term In Kansas
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) ―
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Michael Vick entered a drug treatment program in Kansas on Jan. 7, 2007 and will serve the remainder of his sentence there as well.
Jonathan Ernst/Getty Images
Michael Vick left Virginia on Monday to enter a drug treatment
program at a Kansas prison, a move that could reduce the former NFL
star's 23-month sentence on a federal dogfighting conviction.
The suspended Atlanta Falcons quarterback is now at the U.S. Bureau
of Prisons minimum security facility in Leavenworth, his attorney,
Billy Martin, said.
"Mr. Vick hopes to participate in programs offered at that facility,
including the Bureau of Prisons drug treatment program," Martin said in
a statement.
Vick tested positive for marijuana in September while he was on
supervised release following his guilty plea. The residential drug
treatment programs at Bureau of Prisons institutions take place in
units set apart from the general prison population, lasting at least
500 hours over six to 12 months, according to Bureau of Prisons policy.
Upon successful completion of the program, nonviolent offenders may
be granted up to one year of early release. Staff members review the
inmates' records and behavior to determine if they are eligible for
early release.
If Vick was granted early release, he could be ready to play in the
2009 football season, though he is currently suspended without pay by
the NFL.
"Mr. Vick looks forward to being reunited with his family upon
completion of his sentence," Martin said. "He is hopeful that following
his release he will have the opportunity to resume his career as a
professional football player."
Vick was accompanied by U.S. marshals when he left the Northern Neck
Regional Jail on Monday morning, said Maj. Ted Hull of the Warsaw, Va.,
jail.
Vick and three co-defendants raised pit bulls and trained them for
fighting behind the property he owned in rural Surry County. Several
dogs that did not perform well in test fights were executed.
The 27-year-old player pleaded guilty in August, admitting he
bankrolled the dogfighting operation and helped kill six to eight dogs.
He had been held at the Warsaw jail since he surrendered Nov. 19 in
anticipation of his sentence.
Vick lost all his lucrative endorsement deals and still must contend
with additional legal woes: He and co-defendants Purnell Peace, Quanis
Phillips and Tony Taylor are facing state animal cruelty charges in
Surry County. Vick's trial is set for April 2.
(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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