Drug treatment recommended for Blagojevich

CHICAGO, Dec. 15 (UPI) -- A federal judge recommended a drug-treatment program for ex-Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich that would reduce his 14-year prison sentence by a year.

Blagojevich's attorney told the Chicago Sun-Times U.S. District Judge James Zagel had accepted the recommendation from federal probation officials to enroll the former governor in a treatment program.

Under federal guidelines, Blagojevich likely would have his prison time reduced to 12 years and if accepted into the rehab program could be out in 11 years, with the last six months served in a halfway house, the Chicago Tribune said Thursday.

"Probation said he may be a ripe candidate for it and Judge Zagel told [the bureau of prisons] to consider it for him," Blagojevich attorney Shelly Sorosky said.

Blagojevich, 55, was convicted on corruption charges and Sorosky said he did not know what type of drug or alcohol his client supposedly abused. The final determination is up to the Bureau of Prisons. The Tribune noted relatively modest amounts of alcohol meet the enrollment threshold.