White was maintenance repairman in prison

In his five-plus months in state prison, John White worked as a maintenance repairman and his record was considered satisfactory - he was cited once for smoking in late August, prison officials said.

Asked about his time in jail after his release Thursday, White said, "It's difficult for anyone in the system."

White began serving his sentence of 11/3 to 4 years July 9 at Downstate Correctional Facility, a maximum-security reception facility in Fishkill. On Sept. 23 he was transferred to medium-security Mt. McGregor Correctional Facility in upstate Wilton. A correction spokeswoman did not say why White was transferred.

Mt. McGregor is "used for general confinement" of men 16 and older, with a population of 413 inmates, according to the state Department of Correctional Services.

White would have been eligible for a parole hearing in October 2011. If granted parole, he would have been eligible for release Feb. 15, 2012, officials said.

He was released Thursday after Gov. David A. Paterson commuted his sentence.

With Sarah Crichton