Vick's release expected Wednesday

LEAVENWORTH, Kan. -- Concerned about Michael Vick's security, the Federal Bureau of Prisons remains secretive about exactly when he will leave the federal penitentiary after serving 23 months for a dogfighting conspiracy.

The suspended NFL quarterback's release could come under the cloak of darkness, sources close to Vick told ESPN's Kelly Naqi. Paperwork is being processed Tuesday and Vick is expected to leave prison sometime Wednesday.

Upon his release, Vick will travel to his home in Hampton, Va., about a 19-hour trip if he chooses to drive. He will not be escorted by federal authorities and must report to the probation office in Norfolk on Friday, at which time he'll begin serving home confinement.

A chronology of events around Vick's troubles, ending with a guilty plea for dog fighting.
For two months, the suspended NFL star will be largely confined to his home and will wear an electronic monitor that allows federal probation officials to track his movements. He is expected to be released from federal custody on July 20.

Vick will be allowed to go to his full-time construction job and will likely be allowed about five hours a week for other court-approved activities, according to Ed Bales, managing director of Federal Prison Consultants, an inmate rehabilitation advocacy group.

Permissible activities for inmates on home confinement typically include things like medical appointments, religious obligations and meetings with probation officials. No dinners out. No chilling at a friend's house.

And definitely no bars.

"He's going to be pretty much read the riot act: 'If we catch you in one situation like that, it's back to you know where,'" Bales said.

One restriction tailored specifically for Vick for his three years of supervised probation: He can never again own a dog. U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson already made that decision when he sentenced Vick. He also ordered enrollment in a substance abuse program if Vick's parole officer deems it necessary.

During the day, Vick will earn $10 an hour as a general laborer at one of W.M. Jordan Co.'s 40 commercial construction sites, company president John R. Lawson has said.

The only people Vick will be with during his home confinement are his fiancée and their children. The five-bedroom, 3,538-square-foot brick home in Hampton has an assessed value of $748,100, according to Hampton city tax records.

At the NFL owners' meetings in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., commissioner Roger Goodell said Tuesday he will not make any decision on Vick until his full sentence runs its course. That means Vick's move to home confinement makes no difference in his current status with the league.

Goodell has said that he wants Vick to demonstrate remorse for his actions in order to be reinstated. Asked what Vick must do to demonstrate remorse, he said "I think that's going to be up to Michael. Michael is going to have to demonstrate to the public and the fans ... what he's learned [during his imprisonment]."

"I've never been shy about input from others if it can help," Goodell added when asked whether character references for Vick would inform his decision. "If someone's got information, I welcome it."

Goodell said he has yet to speak with former Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy about Dungy's recent visit with Vick, saying they have traded phone calls but have yet to reach each other directly.
[Edited 5/20/09 8:21am]

Agent says Vick to focus on family

The agent for Michael Vick said Tuesday that the quarterback "will place football on the back burner" during his immediate home confinement and that there are no meetings scheduled with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to discuss reinstatement for the 2009 season.

"Michael's looking forward to reacquainting himself with his family, his fiance, Kiafa, his children and his mom," Joel Segal, Vick's agent, said. "When he gets home, that's his priority, along with re-inserting himself into society and being a positive influence in his community. This is going to be a special time for him, just being around family."

NFL.com Video

A chronology of events around Vick's troubles, ending with a guilty plea for dog fighting.
Segal said Vick has not formally hired a trainer but added, "At the appropriate time, he will hire one. Football will happen. But right now, it's not his priority. It's one day at a time."

Segal confirmed he has had talks with the league office during Vick's incarceration, but that it was more "about keeping open the line of communication. There's nothing set with the commissioner and, as I said, Michael's focus right now is on family."

Vick, who is serving an indefinite suspension imposed by Goodell, clearly wants an opportunity to play this season, Segal confirmed.

"It's just not appropriate for that to be the first priority in his life and he has told me that himself," Segal said. "However, he's paid his debt to society and like every American who has made mistakes, even criminal mistakes, he deserves a second chance. He realizes the severity of his mistakes."

At the NFL owners' meetings Tuesday in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Goodell said he will not make any decision on Vick until his full sentence runs its course.

Goodell has said that he wants Vick to demonstrate remorse for his actions in order to be reinstated. Asked what Vick must do to demonstrate remorse, he said: "I think that's going to be up to Michael. Michael is going to have to demonstrate to the public and the fans ... what he's learned [during his imprisonment]."

Segal declined to comment on whether Vick would speak publicly once he reaches his home, but sources have said it is likely the quarterback -- whose rights are still held by the Atlanta Falcons -- will have something to say, possibly by Friday.

"One thing Michael has told me is that he knows action speaks louder than words right now," Segal said. "He knows that no matter what he says, he just can't talk the talk. He's got to walk to walk and first and foremost, he wants to do that with family, then the community. He is going to focus on those priorities and do the right thing."

Segal declined to reveal the exact time of Vick's release from federal prison in Leavenworth, Kan., or his specific mode of transportation back home to Hampton, Va. He is expected to be released within 24 hours to home confinement through July 20, when he will no longer be under federal custody.

Goodell said he has yet to speak with former Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy about Dungy's recent visit with Vick, saying they have traded phone calls but have yet to reach each other directly.

"I've never been shy about input from others if it can help," Goodell added when asked whether character references for Vick would inform his decision. "If someone's got information, I welcome it."

Humane Society role in future?

As Michael Vick waits for a second chance in the NFL, the Humane Society of the United States, the nation's largest animal welfare group, has decided to offer Vick the opportunity to help prompt change in society.

It is a development that certainly will go a long way toward helping Vick rehabilitate his image in the eyes of the public at large and potential employers in particular. Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of the Humane Society, says the group plans to partner with Vick in developing programs aimed at eliminating dogfighting.

Vick is scheduled to leave the federal prison in Leavenworth, Kan., sometime Wednesday, and finish the rest of his 23-month sentence for a dogfighting conspiracy in home confinement in Hampton, Va.

The Humane Society believes that because of Vick's profile and perspective, he can have the greatest impact in urban communities, Pacelle said.

"We were very involved in criticizing Vick for conduct which we found reprehensible, and we strongly supported law enforcement and judicial action that led to his incarceration," Pacelle told ESPN.com on Tuesday. "I don't think anyone was tougher on him than we were. But the goal was never the continued punitive treatment of Michael Vick. The goal has always been to eradicate dogfighting in America and around the world."

Pacelle said he was approached with the idea of working with the former star quarterback several months ago by Vick's representatives. After meeting with Vick at the federal prison camp, Pacelle said, he decided just within the past week that working with Vick was the right move for the society and its missions.

Specifics are to be determined, but Pacelle made it clear that the expectation on both sides is for Vick to contribute more to the cause than public service announcements. A source close to Vick said he has agreed to be more than a spokesperson. Pacelle believes Vick can do the most good in the area the society believes is of greatest need -- urban outreach and prevention.

"We've done a lot of work on the law enforcement side," Pacelle said, "but one area we've invested resources but that remains a major cultural and sociological problem is outreach to young African-Americans in urban centers where there's widespread dogfighting. I'm open to the possibility of plugging [Michael Vick] into programs and activities in order to ward off these boys from illegal dogfighting activities.

"It's 'boots on the ground,' not just PSAs and talk but doing work with young people consistent with the work we do now."

Pacelle said the understanding is that Vick won't just do what needs to be done to get back into the NFL. "It's when the spotlight is off the work continues," Pacelle said. "It's a long-term commitment to turning around this problem."

Pacelle said that in their meeting, Vick "clearly expressed remorse and contrition, but that's not what convinced me to think about plugging him into these programs.

"He may be able to move the ball down the field. But it's up to him to make the most of the experience."

Pacelle continued: "If he's sincere about it and in it for the long haul, then he can be an agent for change. If he's not sincere about it, it's a failing of his, not of ours. He needs to prove himself to us and the rest of the country. We're just giving him better platforms to prove himself. We're about the business of change. Michael has a real opportunity here."

Michael Smith is a reporter for ESPN.

Hopefully he takes it one day at a time. Surrounds himself with good role models and friends and keeps his nose clean. Also, he has to realize that he can't please everyone. Once he gets out and he makes his statements, some people are going to be wanting more of his time. Or they might not feel that he is remorseful enough...whatever the heck that means. All he has to do is say that he is sorry and move on.

Good luck, Michael Vick and I him well. I am hoping that all goes well for him.

I hear Mike's the one who left those ducks stranded atop that building...

Just has to keep his nose clean, not do anything stupid or rise to any potential bait, and appreciate the second chance he's been given at what is a very privileged career and life. All sounds very positive so let's hope he really is remorseful and gets things back on track.

NFL star Vick leaves prison for home confinement

RICHMOND, Va. (AP)—Suspended NFL star Michael Vick(notes) left a Kansas prison before dawn Wednesday to begin home confinement in Virginia, one of his attorneys said, the latest step on a journey that Vick hopes will lead to his reinstatement.

Vick, who turns 29 in June, slipped past waiting cameras and reporters undetected to leave a federal penitentiary in Leavenworth after serving 19 months for financing a dogfighting ring. He was headed to Virginia by car to begin two months of home confinement at his five-bedroom house in Hampton before a scheduled released from federal custody on July 20.

He was accompanied by his fiance, Kijafa Frink, and they were traveling back to Virginia with several members of a security team arranged for by Vick’s team of lawyers and advisers, a person familiar with the plans told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

The drive from Leavenworth to Hampton is expected to take about 19 hours.

“It’s a happy day for him to be starting this part of the process,” Larry Woodward, Vick’s Virginia-based attorney, said. “He looks forward to meeting the challenges he has to meet.”

Ultimately, Vick’s goal is to rehabilitate his image and return to the NFL, but Woodward said his first priority “is spending time with his children and his loved ones.”

Vick, once the NFL’s highest-paid player, is scheduled to report to a probation officer Friday in Norfolk, Woodward said. He will be allowed to leave home to work a $10-an-hour job as a laborer for a construction company and for other limited purposes approved by his probation officer. He will serve three years of probation after his home confinement ends.

Getting out of prison will allow Vick to begin rebuilding his life, repairing his image and working toward returning to the NFL.

Commissioner Roger Goodell, who suspended Vick indefinitely in August 2007, has said he will review Vick’s status after his criminal case is concluded. He has said Vick will have to persuade him and the public that he is genuinely sorry for his crime, that he has been changed by his experience and that he is committed to leading a different life.

Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank said Wednesday that Vick has paid his debt to society and merits a second chance. Blank said the quarterback is taking positive steps by wanting to work with humane societies and making other changes in his life.

The Humane Society of the United States said Tuesday that Vick met its president recently in prison and wants to work on a program aimed at eradicating dogfighting among urban teens.

“There’s no question Michael’s paid his debt to society, obviously,” Blank said during a break at the NFL owners’ meetings in Florida.

Blank, whose team still owns the player’s contractual rights, said he has been in written communication with Vick since the sentence began.

Retired defensive tackle Warren Sapp(notes), who played 13 seasons for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Oakland Raiders, also said Vick should be given an opportunity to resume his football career.

“We’ve always been a country of second chances. That’s the essence of us, have some contrition for what you did, go pay your price and then come back and become a better person or a little different person, whatever it is,” Sapp said last week.

Even if he is reinstated, Vick’s NFL future is uncertain. He and the Falcons have parted ways, agreeing to a contract settlement that will allow Vick to sign with another team—if there is one willing to endure the wrath of some fans in exchange for a player who was perhaps the NFL’s most electrifying performer.

A public backlash isn’t the only risk. By all accounts, Vick has tried to stay in good physical shape, but there’s no telling how much his skills have eroded after two missed seasons.

Vick said in bankruptcy court last month that he believes he can play another 10-12 years. The NFL career average is only 3.2 years and Vick already has played seven.

One certainty is that he will not command the kind of money he once earned. Vick supplemented his 10-year, $130 million Falcons contract with several lucrative endorsements, all lost because of the dogfighting. The minimum salary for a player with Vick’s years of experience is $620,000.

Vick filed a Chapter 11 bankruptcy plan that would have allowed him to keep the first $750,000 of his annual pay, with a percentage of any amount over that going to his creditors. A judge has rejected that plan, in part because of uncertainty about Vick’s NFL future, and ordered him to submit a new one.

His bankruptcy lawyers have complained about the difficulty of handling Vick’s highly complex bankruptcy case while their client was in prison 1,200 miles away. Having Vick back in the area should help them wrap up the Chapter 11 reorganization case.

Vick’s startling fall began in April 2007 when authorities conducting a drug investigation of his cousin raided the former Virginia Tech star’s Surry County property and seized dozens of dogs, some injured, and equipment commonly used in dogfighting.

A federal indictment issued about three months later charged Vick and three of his “Bad Newz Kennels” associates with an interstate dogfighting conspiracy. Vick initially denied any involvement, and all four men pleaded innocent. All four eventually admitted their crimes and were sentenced to prison. Vick’s sentence was the longest.

The gruesome details outlined in the indictment—dogs were hanged, drowned and electrocuted—fueled public outrage but also brought unprecedented attention to the problem of dogfighting, prompting several states to tighten their laws.

However, some supporters also remained loyal to Vick, contending that while he made mistakes he was being singled out for harsh treatment because of his celebrity status.

Vick also pleaded guilty to a state dogfighting charge and was given a three-year suspended sentence.

Associated Press Writers Larry O’Dell in Richmond, Va., John Marshall in Leavenworth, Kan., and AP Sports Writer Fred Goodall in Tampa, Fla., contributed to this report.

He wants a reality TV show.

Graycap23 said:

Shet up! Well, I guess he's gotta make a living and I KNOW people would watch.

Graycap23 said:

Of course he does.

The man has repaid his debt by spending time in prison not
jail mind you. He's also making an effort to work with the
humane society. If he completes this effort during the summer,
he should be allowed to come back and earn a living playing
football as long as he keeps his nose clean. And finally
Fuck PETA.

phunkdaddy said:

Took the words right out of my mouth. All these self-righteous hypocrites need to STFU.

As for Vick playing this season, that's up to Goodell.

uPtoWnNY said:

It take a minute 2 get back in football shape. I hope he makes it back.
I also hope he loses that attitude of being the "man".

Prison doesn't seem to help regular people in the slightest, but I wonder if it may actually help those who have something (or in his case, a LOT) to lose.

Graycap23 said:

I hope he plays again too. And I'm sure he wasn't the "man" in prison. Hopefully he don't start carrying a

they need to let him back in the league and he should have never been put in jail

but after he gets a lot of press about helping educate inner-city youth about the horrors of dog fighting

and the people at PETA need to get counseling - not Vick

My guess is an alum douche is on his short list.

japanrocks said:

Ummmm, no I'd say that anyone capable of killing a dog with his bare hands and various other ways has SOME major issues and I hope he dealt with them. But I'm definitely willing to give him the benefit of the doubt that he's a different person.

phunkdaddy said:

Thank you. Short, to the point, and spot on.

japanrocks said:

Yes it came out last month on the internet that people at
PETA were euthanizing dogs for whatever reasons.
Where is PETA when some of these lovely pit bulls
attack humans? (not to excuse what vick did)
The last thing i want to see or hear is these clowns
picketing if mike vick is allowed to come back
and play football.

SCNDLS said:

He is getting $600k for a documentary on this experience.

he did his time-I think folks should let the man get on with his life.

nurseV said:

I think dogfighting is sick, but I agree. He's supposedly paid his debt and should be allowed a second chance

BUt it shows what a farce the system is. People are guilty in the public's eyes from the moment they're accused, and remain guilty forever. There is no rehabilitation & no "innocent until proven..."

NDRU said:

"Some" people.....

phunkdaddy said:

Wtf?

First off PETA puts down severely abused animals - a man made problem
Second, pit bulls that attack people are usually lame ass 'status' pets and are mistreated and/or are trained to be vicious - a man made problem

I think dude should be able to play again, but if you're gonna take the position that PETA sucks - at least get your facts straight before doing it.