Story posted Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Blase To Serve 1 Year, 1 Day
By TOM ROBB Journal & Topics Reporter
Former Niles Mayor and Maine Township Democratic Committeeman Nick Blase is tentatively scheduled to report to a federal minimum-security prison on Mar. 1 where he will be incarcerated for up to one year and one day following his sentencing last week. That means he may report to any one of a number of federal prisons including facilities in Oxford, WI, or Terre Haute, IN.
Judge Wayne Andersen, who handed down Blase's sentence last Friday, recommended that Blase be incarcerated in the Oxford facility at the request of Blase's attorneys. The Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBP) will make the final determination.
Blase's date to report to prison could be changed if the FBP has not designated a prison for Blase by Mar. 1.
Blase also paid about $1.1 million in fines, restitution and payments to Niles area elementary school districts.
Prisoners sentenced to 365 days or less must complete 100% of their sentence. Prisoners sentenced to more than one year must complete 80% of their sentence meaning Blase could be released in 10 months with good behavior.
Blase pled guilty to two counts of an 11-count federal corruption indictment in October 2008 in a scheme to steer companies wishing to do business in Niles to the Ralph Weiner and Associates insurance company for which he received $421,500 in kickbacks he did not report on his taxes. Blase will not actually be behind bars when incarcerated. Minimum-security prisons do not have cells and large exterior walls that maximum-security prisons do. Inmates in minimum-security prisons like Oxford sleep in large open bay dormitories similar to military barracks housing up to 125 men in one room.
The FBP will make the final selection for Blase within the next few weeks taking into account the offense, length of sentence, criminal history, of which Blase has none.
A FBP spokeswoman also said attempts are made to locate prisoners within 500 miles of their home to make visitations from friends or families easier.
Oxford is located 60-miles north of Madison, adjacent to a medium-security prison. Oxford's minimum-security prison has a population of 189 inmates.
Former Illinois Gov. George Ryan is currently serving time in Terre Haute. Other prison possibilities include Marion, Illinois, Waseca and Sandstone, Minnesota and Leavenworth, Kansas.
Blase's attorneys asked for home confinement because of health issues including the onset of Parkinson's disease. Judge Andersen denied that request.
Should Blase's health deteriorate while incarcerated the federal prison system has several freestanding prison medical centers including several in the north central region of the U.S. in Springfield, MO, Leavenworth, KS, and Rochester, MN.
While incarcerated Blase will be assigned to a work detail for seven and a half hours a day on prison grounds performing jobs to support the prison such as in the cafeteria, grounds keeping or in the prison laundry.
In his off time, Blase will have access to both traditional and law libraries, a television room, running track and recreation and education programs administered by the prison.
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