former Gov. George Ryan arrived at the federal prison camp in Oxford...

former Gov. George Ryan arrived at the federal prison camp in Oxford, Wis., entering through the back gate and avoiding the media. 
Ryan, 73, entered the federal correctional centre about noon. Ryan did not have to arrive at the federal prison until 5 p.m. but Ryan left his home in Kankakee, Illinois, at 5:52 Wednesday Morning to make the 255-mile trip. former Gov. George Ryan was convicted of racketeering and fraud on May 15, 2006 (see) after a long and contentious trial, and sentenced to 6 1/2 years in prison on Sept. 5, 2006.
But while Ryan persuaded judges to keep him out of prison for more than a year while he appealed his conviction, those options have now been exhausted. Earlier Tuesday, U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens refused to grant Ryan bail, issuing his decision less than 24 hours after a final, urgent plea by Ryan's lawyers, who said his six-month trial had been unfair and plagued by errors. Addressing reporters Tuesday night, Ryan said he had a "clear conscience" as he prepared to serve his sentence for corruption that destroyed his political career and left the state awash in scandal.
"Tomorrow I embark on a new journey in my life. I do so with a firm faith in God and the support and faith of my family," Ryan said in the front yard of his Kankakee home, surrounded by his wife, Lura Lynn, his children and other friends.
"But I do so with a clear conscience. And I have said since the beginning of this 10-year ordeal that I am innocent and I intend to prove that," Ryan said.
The minimum-security prison camp, located about 60 miles north of Madison, has space for 206 inmates in four wings.
Ryan's typical work day will begin at 7:30 a.m. and include duties such as mopping floors, cleaning toilets, raking leaves, cutting grass, painting and shovelling snow.