BEIJING,
Jan. 22 -- Kiefer Sutherland was released from jail early Monday after serving
48 days on a drunken driving charge, police said.
The actor was ushered out a back door and into a
waiting car at 12:05 a.m. to avoid the media near the Glendale jail's main
entrance, Officer John Balian said.
"It was a joint decision between him and our police
department personnel that it would be better if he exited through the back,"
Balian said.
Sutherland spent most of his jail sentence by
himself, interacting with fellow prisoners only when he was on the way to the
laundry room where he worked cleaning sheets, pillowcases and blankets, Balian
said.
The star of Fox television's "24" also had a cell to
himself and ate alone, he said.
Officials rejected several requests from strangers
who asked to visit Sutherland during his sentence.
"A lot of people came in to see him off the street:
nutritionists, psychics, just random people who thought they could walk up and
see him," Balian said. "That just wasn't going to happen."
Prisoners are only allowed to receive visitors
already named on a list, he said.
Sutherland pleaded no contest in October to driving
with a blood-alcohol level above the legal limit of 0.08 percent. He was
sentenced to 30 days, as well as 18 days for violating probation stemming from a
2004 drunken-driving arrest.
After entering his plea last fall, Sutherland issued
a statement saying he was "very disappointed in myself for the poor judgment I
exhibited recently, and I'm deeply sorry for the disappointment and distress
this has caused my family, friends and co-workers."
He was granted a request to serve his time in
suburban Glendale's city jail rather than in the overcrowded downtown Los
Angeles County jail. Prosecutors said at the time of Sutherland's sentencing
that he might be released early if he did time in a county jail, due to
crowding, but Sutherland attorney Blair Berk said Monday the actor would have
had to serve his full term regardless of where he was incarcerated.
Sutherland must also serve five years probation and
complete an 18-month alcohol education program and attend weekly therapy
sessions for six months.
Balian called Sutherland a model prisoner who has
paid his dues.
"He was very cooperative, humble, didn't give us any
problems. He never wanted any preferential treatment," Balian said. "Forty-eight
days is a long time, but as far as we are concerned, he paid his debt to
society."
(Source: China Daily/Agencies)
