Cameron Douglas, Michael Douglas' son, released from prison after nearly seven years - Los Angeles Times
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Cameron Douglas, Michael Douglas’ son, released from prison after nearly seven years

Cameron Douglas, left, and Michael Douglas at "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past" premiere in April 2009.
(Gabriel Bouys / AFP / Getty Images)
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Cameron Douglas, son of actor Michael Douglas, has reportedly been released from prison after serving almost seven years and is living in a halfway house.

Cameron Douglas is planning to write a tell-all book about his experiences after being convicted on drug charges, according to Page Six, which first had word of the 37-year-old’s release. A rep for Michael Douglas didn’t respond immediately to a request for information, but his son’s release was confirmed Monday by several other outlets.

Though Cameron Douglas technically wasn’t eligible for release until 2018, documents seen by the Daily Mail suggested he’d be getting out early. The specifics of his release were not immediately available Monday.

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Douglas was arrested in Manhattan in summer 2009 in a Drug Enforcement Administration sting that according to TMZ capped a three-year investigation. He was accused of helping distribute “multiple pounds” of methamphetamine, according to a federal complaint obtained by the website. After posting bail and being held under house arrest, he violated the terms of house arrest and went behind bars pending sentencing.

His then-girlfriend Kelly Sott eventually served seven months in federal prison for bringing him heroin hidden in an electric toothbrush when she visited his apartment.

In January 2010, Douglas pleaded guilty to dealing large quantities of meth and cocaine in New York. He told the court he’d been dealing regularly since 2006.

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In April of that year, Kirk Douglas asked a judge to take it easy in sentencing his grandson, who faced a mandatory minimum of 10 years behind bars. Diandra Douglas, Michael’s ex and Cameron’s mother, also pleaded for leniency and said she blamed herself for mistakes she made in raising her son.

Despite the supposed mandatory minimum, U.S. District Court Judge Richard Berman said he was not obligated to follow those federal guidelines and initially sentenced Cameron Douglas to five years in prison. Berman also told those who’d asked for leniency to “get over” the idea that Cameron was a victim.

However, in December 2011, Berman extended the sentence by 4.5 years, citing repeated efforts by Douglas to get drugs into prison, including four times his lawyer smuggled contraband to him in her bra, according to EW. (Attorney Jennifer Ridha detailed their relationship, and how she brought him Xanax in prison, in a memoir published last year.)

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Douglas was badly injured in prison in December 2012, suffering a broken femur and broken fingers, possibly due to a beating. He blamed his injuries on a handball game, according to a New York Post source.

He was put in solitary confinement in January 2013 after testing positive for drugs, the New York Post reported. However, it appears he’d been in solitary before that as well, according to comments Michael Douglas made after winning an Emmy Award in September 2013.

“In my son’s case, he has spent almost two years in solitary confinement” despite his being a nonviolent offender, Douglas told reporters. “Right now, I’m being told I can’t see him for two years. It’s been over a year now, and I’m questioning the system.

“At first, I was certainly disappointed with my son, but it’s reached a point now.... Atty. Gen. Eric Holder has been dealing with this and other issues regarding our prison system. I think other things are going to be revived regarding nonviolent drug-addict prisoners. The United States represents 5% of the world’s population and 25% of the world’s prisoners.”

Cameron Douglas was released from solitary in the months that followed, Radar Online reported in March 2014.

Follow Christie D’Zurilla on Twitter @theCDZ.

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