After only three days behind bars, Paris Hilton traded a 12 foot-by-8-foot (3.7-by-2.4-meter) cell for her 2,700-square-foot (251-sq. meter) Hollywood Hills home when she was released early Thursday because of an unspecified medical condition.
Hilton will be under home confinement, wearing an electronic monitoring ankle bracelet, for the remaining 40 days of her sentence for violating probation in a reckless driving case.
The celebrity inmate was sent home from the L.A. County jail's Lynwood lockup shortly after 2 a.m. in a stunning reduction to her original 45-day sentence.
No details were available on the nature of Hilton's medical condition. Sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore refused to answer questions about whether it was physical or psychological. Hilton's lawyer and publicist did not return calls seeking comment.
"I can't specifically talk about the medical situation other than to say that yes, it played a part in this," Whitmore said at an early morning news conference outside the jail.
The decision to release Hilton was made by Sheriff Lee Baca, according to the Probation Department. A deputy at the sheriff's information bureau said there would be no comment.
Hilton's sentence was first cut from 45 to 23 days because of "good behavior." When she chose to serve her time under house arrest, the sentence reverted to the original 45 days. Although she spent only three days in jail, she was credited for five because she checked in late Sunday and left early Thursday, leaving her with 40 days.
On Sunday night, after a surprise red-carpet appearance at the MTV Movie Awards, Hilton surrendered to authorities with little fanfare.
"I am trying to be strong right now," she told reporters at the time. "I'm ready to face my sentence. Even though this is a really hard time, I have my family, my friends and my fans to support me, and that's really helpful."
Hilton was housed in the "special needs" unit of the 13-year-old jail, separate from most of its 2,200 inmates. The unit contains 12 two-person cells reserved for police officers, public officials, celebrities and other high-profile inmates. Hilton did not have a cellmate.
Like other inmates in the special-needs area, Hilton took meals in her cell and was allowed outside for at least an hour each day to shower, watch TV in the day room, participate in outdoor recreation or talk on the telephone.
When Hilton was sentenced May 4, Superior Court Judge Michael T. Sauer ruled she would not be allowed any work release, furloughs or use of an alternative jail or electronic monitoring in lieu of jail.
Whitmore said Thursday that Sauer "was consulted and he was advised" about her early release.
Noted civil rights advocate, the Rev. Al Sharpton, immediately denounced her release, saying it had "all of the appearances of economic and racial favoritism."
Although Sharpton said he has "nothing but empathy for Ms. Hilton," he doubted similar treatment would be offered to minorities or poor people.
"There are any number of cases of people who handled being incarcerated badly and even have health conditions that are not released," Sharpton said.
The 26-year-old hotel heiress' path to jail began Sept. 7, when she failed a sobriety test after police saw her weaving down a Hollywood street in her Mercedes. She pleaded no contest to reckless driving and was sentenced to 36 months' probation, alcohol education and $1,500 (€1,114) in fines.
On Jan. 15, she was pulled over by the California Highway Patrol. Informed that her license was suspended, Hilton signed a document acknowledging she was not to drive. Then, on Feb. 27, she was pulled over a third time, which led to her three-day incarceration.
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