Released DUI Offenders Back Behind Bars

An early Christmas present for a group of DUI offenders turned out to be short-lived.

Gov. Pat Quinn ordered 18 felony drunken drivers released from prison early to serve the rest of their prison time on home confinement, the Chicago Sun-Times reported Tuesday.

But following angry criticism from anti-DUI advocates, Quinn ordered the offenders back to prison on Thursday.

Each will be paroled between mid-January and mid-October under the terms of their original sentences, the Sun-Times reported.

David Malham, a victim-services specialist with Mothers Against Drunk Driving in Chicago, called the move a "delightful Christmas story."

The early release was part of a program aimed to save $5 million annually by placing certain "low-level, nonviolent offenders" on home detention, according to the Sun-Times.

No more DUI drivers will be eligible for early release as they will now be considered violent, according to an official with the state Corrections Department.