‘QAnon Shaman’ Jacob Chansley released early from prison, transferred to halfway house

Prison officials confirmed on Thursday that Jacob Chansley, also known as the QAnon Shaman, has been released from prison before completing his full sentence of 3 1/2 years.

Chansley, who gained notoriety for his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot while wearing a coyote-fur headdress and going shirtless, served only 27 months and has been transferred to a halfway house.

Jacob Chansley aka QAnon Shaman released from prison under sentence reduction for good behavior

Chansley’s transfer to the halfway house appears routine under federal prison policy despite his attorney’s recent request for his release based on new video evidence from the Capitol riot.

This policy allows for a 15 percent decrease in prison sentence for good behavior and permits inmates to spend the last year of their sentence in a halfway house, at the Bureau of Prisons’ discretion.

“It is appropriate this gentle and intelligent young man be permitted to move forward with the next stage of what undoubtedly will be a law abiding and enriching life,” Chansley’s lawyer Albert Watkins told The Daily Mail.

“I applaud the decision of the US Bureau of Prison in this regard,” he said.

In September 2021, Chansley, who is from Phoenix, pleaded guilty to charges of civil disorder and violent entry to the Capitol.

According to Bureau of Prison records, Chansley is currently under the custody of the Residential Reentry Management field office in Phoenix, which collaborates with halfway houses to aid inmates in their reintegration into society.

His lawyer refused to give more information about the reason for his release

Chansley’s attorney, Watkins, refrained from providing any insight into the reason behind his client’s early release, stating that it was a decision made solely by the US Bureau of Prisons.

Despite calls for his release from influential individuals such as Elon Musk, who cited new video evidence, former federal prosecutor Neama Ramani believes that the heightened attention on Chansley’s case likely did not contribute to his early release.

‘I don’t think it has anything to do with media [or] public pressure,’ said Ramani, who is not affiliated with the case.

Ramani noted that the Bureau of Prisons typically transfers inmates without lengthy criminal records to halfway houses for the final year of their sentence.