Oscar Pistorius is set to be released from prison on Friday, after serving just 10 months of a five-year sentence for the shooting death of his girlfriend, according to multiple reports.
Pistorius, the former Paralympic runner, was convicted of killing Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day in 2013. Pistorius said he mistook his girlfriend for an intruder and was found guilty of culpable homicide after trial.
According to CNN, the parole board often considers correctional supervision because South Africa’s prisons are overcrowded and underfunded. The board has the authority to place Pistorius on correctional supervision after serving one-sixth of his sentence because he was sentenced under a specific section of the Criminal Procedure Act.
He is expected to serve the rest of his sentence at the home of his uncle outside Pretoria.
Pistorius served the 10-months at Kgosi Mampuru II prison in Pretoria, South Africa. Upon release, he will have to wear an electronic monitoring device.
Whether or not Pistorius will remain free is uncertain. A Supreme Court appeal hearing is set to take place in November. The prosecution will argue that Pistorius’ conviction should be increased to murder. If the conviction is elevated, the runner will be subject to at least 15 years imprisonment, according to the Library of Congress.
Source: USA Today
