New Jersey.USA

Former Rutgers student Dharun Ravi was released from prison Tuesday after serving 20 days on a 30-day sentence for using a webcam to spy on his gay roommate who later committed suicide.

In March, Ravi was convicted on charges of invasion of privacy, witness tampering, tampering of evidence, and bias intimidation — actions that prosecutors said led to the suicide of his college roommate, Tyler Clementi, who jumped to his death in September 2010.

New Jersey Star-Ledger

Dharun Ravi (right) with attorney Steve Altman

Last month, a New Jersey Superior Court judge sentenced Ravi to 30 days in prison and three years probation — Ravi could have been sentenced to up to 10 years under the state’s sentencing guidelines.

Ravi was released 10 days early because of “good behavior, in accordance with state regulations,” said Edmond Cicchi, warden of the Middlesex County jail, reported the New Jersey Star-Ledger.

In addition, fFederal authorities will not try to deport Ravi back to India, where he is a citizen, according to a report by Associated Press. Ravi came to the U.S. as a child and is living here legally, but federal authorities can deport foreign citizens convicted of a crime.

“Dharun Ravi’s walk out of jail after only 20 days is practically a Monopoly game’s ‘get out of jail free’ card — a travesty of justice,” said Steven Goldstein, chairman and chief executive of Garden State Equality, in a statement.

Clementi, 18, jumped to his death from the George Washington bridge on Sept. 22, 2010 after Ravi placed a camera in their dorm room three days earlier and streamed images onto the internet of Clementi’s intimate same-sex encounter, and used Twitter to encourage fellow students to watch.

The Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office filed an appeal of Rav’s sentence, just days after Judge Glenn Berman delivered it. Ravi’s attorney has also filed an appeal of his client’s convictions.

Both appeals could take upwards of two years before a three-judge panel acts.

Tags: Bullying, Cyber-bullying, Dharun Ravi, New Jersey, Tyler Clementi

Filed under: New Jersey