Oscar Pistorius to be released from prison on parole

Oscar Pistorius, the South African Paralympic star convicted of killing his girlfriend, will be released from prison next week after serving a year of his five-year sentence.

Pistorius was convicted in 2014 of killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine's Day 2013. During trial, Pistorius had contended that her death was an accident, and that he had believed a burglar was in his house when he fired through a closed bathroom door. After the trial, Pistorius was acquitted of the charge of murder, but convicted of culpable homicide, South Africa's equivalent of manslaughter. Pistorius is imprisoned at the Kgosi Mampuru II prison in Pretoria.

Pistorius' good behavior had entitled him to an early release in August, but a judge halted that option at the last minute. A parole board reviewed the decision and later "approved the placement of offender Oscar Pistorius under correctional supervision as from 20 October 2015. The parole board considered all submissions, including the offender's profile report, the directives of the Parole Review Board and the submission of the victim's family."

According to local legal experts, Pistorius' release will include house arrest, restrictions on firearms, and regular checks with authorities. His legal concerns are by no means complete; on Nov. 3, prosecutors will appeal to South Africa's Supreme Court for a murder conviction and a tougher sentence.

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Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter.

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