Back in May, we learned that former Jaguars wide receiver Jimmy Smith had started serving a prison sentence in Mississippi after being convicted on gun and drug charges.
Smith was expected to be released from prison in 2018, but he actually got out of jail in June and will serve the rest of his sentence under house arrest. Smith will be allowed to go to work, school or church during the period of confinement, but will have to be at his house otherwise. He’ll wear an ankle bracelet that allows authorities to track his movements.
A spokeswoman for the Mississippi Department of Corrections said, via Dana Treen of the Florida Times-Union, that Smith qualfied for house arrest because his crimes -- possession of cocaine and possession of a firearm by a felon -- made him eligible for an intensive supervision program. She also said that Smith would be eligible for parole in June 2014.
Smith has had problems with drugs for many years, including a 2009 arrest for possession that led to another spell under house arrest. Hopefully, he’s going to use this time to get whatever help he needs to avoid any further incarceration and other damage to himself or others.