"Teen Mom" star Amber Portwood was released from prison on parole four years early. The 23-year-old reality star was sentenced in January 2012 to five years at the Rockville Correctional Facility in Indiana but was released on Monday, Nov. 4, 2013 after serving 16 months, US Weekly reports.
"Portwood is indeed on parole for an unspecified period of time," Douglas S. Garrison, chief compunctions officer of the Indiana Department of Correction said. "She will be subject to random drug screening."
Garrison explained to the magazine that even though Portwood was released before her five-year sentence was completed they do not consider it an "early" release from prison.
"She earned a combination of earned credit time for good behavior and competition of programming, which resulted in her period of incarceration being reduced," he said. "The vast majority of offenders in our system earn credit time which reduces their period of incarceration. The courts envision offenders earning this type of credit time, and thus the release is really when it was expected as opposed to being 'early'."
The former MTV star, who is the mother to 4-year-old Leah with ex-boyfriend Gary Shirley, was photographed leaving the prison in Rockville, Ind. wearing a grey sweat suit and sneakers. As she hugged her family and friends, Portwood flashed her t-shirt that had the words "Breaking Free From Addiction" written on it.
The release comes just a little over a month after her brother, Shawn Portwood, announced on Twitter that she was getting out soon.
"Congratulations sis. I am so happy that you are finally being released," he wrote in September. "You did everything you needed to do to get out long before 5 years."
The star has had several run-ins with the law in the past. She was supposed to complete a five-year prison sentence after she was arrested in December 2011 on drug-related charges. Prior to that she's had other incidents including a domestic violence charge in November 2010, while still filming for the reality show "Teen Mom."
Seven months later she checked into rehab after a June 2011 suicide attempt.
"Will be heading up to Indiana in a few days to see my sister," Shawn tweeted on Oct. 30. "Can't wait until she gets out and proves she is a changed woman."
As for Portwood's first stop after getting released from prison? According to Wetpaint she stopped by Frisch's Big Boy to get a hamburger and then spent the evening with her daughter.
