Corporate convicts use rehab to cut time

The Houston paper reports:

WASHINGTON -- When former Enron executive Andrew Fastow was sentenced to six years in federal prison this fall, he asked for drug treatment, citing dependency on anti-anxiety medication that helped him cope with the implosion of his company, the imprisonment of his wife and his prosecution.

If the Bureau of Prisons grants his request, Fastow could reduce his time behind bars by up to one year.

Add in the "good-time" credits he could earn by behaving and Fastow -- who once agreed to serve at least 10 years for cheating investors out of millions of dollars -- could be on his way home in about four.

Fastow and other Enron executives are joining a growing trend of white-collar criminals trying to reduce their sentences by entering prison-based drug or alcohol rehabilitation -- an option not open to violent offenders who go through the same treatment.

Going into rehab has become a trendy and phony way for celebrities to cope with scandals. But I don't see anything wrong if someone serving a 6-year federal sentence gets out after 4 years if he has good behavior. Most state prisoners get paroled faster than that.