"Had he never asked for it back, that computer would be sitting in a closet someplace and he would be on probation right now, " he said.

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The court on Thursday reduced his sentence to five years but said the circumstances and nature of offense was so serious that Mr. Dutt cannot be released on probation.

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Dave White, Johnson's lawyer, said his client could be out of custody on supervised probation within six months.

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But the rest need to be deep-sixed or put on probation.

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In his statement, the home secretary said probation officers will be asked to focus on the most dangerous criminals.

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Recent Home Office research found that offenders participating in community-based treatment programmes were half as likely to be re-convicted within two years as offenders who were simply placed on probation.

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He has been living on probation in his hometown of Meta, southern Italy, and had to be granted special permission from the judge to attend.

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Upon release, he will be under five years of supervised probation, which includes a 7 p.m. curfew, a ban on attending any collegiate event and a ban on stepping onto Auburn University property.

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