Michael Douglas' eldest son Cameron has been released from jail after nearly seven years. Cameron was arrested in 2009 and sentenced to five years in prison for possessing heroin and selling drugs, but his term was extended when he was caught smuggling drugs into prison.
He spent just under two years in solitary confinement from 2012 to 2014 at Maryland's Cumberland Federal Corrections Institute and has since been living in a halfway house.
Cameron, 37, was due to be released next year but according to Page Six, he has been allowed to leave.
© Photo: Getty ImagesCameron Douglas, 37, has been quietly released from prison
Michael's son, who he shares with his ex-wife Diandra Luker, is also planning to write a tell-all book detailing his time behind bars.
A source said: "Cameron will talk about his struggle being the son and grandson of Hollywood icons, and then his bad decisions which led him to jail, and then solitary confinement. He is staying low-key after his release and plans to spend time with his father and mother. He believes this is a new start, and a chance at a new life."
© Photo: Getty ImagesThe former actor with his grandfather Kirk Douglas and his dad Michael
Cameron, whose grandfather is Hollywood star Kirk Douglas, first started abusing drugs when he was a teenager. His addiction led to his arrest in 2009 when he was found with methamphetamine; the large amount of the drug seized meant that Cameron was charged with intent to distribute.
Throughout his jail sentence Michael, who also shares two children with his wife Catherine Zeta-Jones, visited his eldest son often.
In his 2013 Emmys acceptance speech, when the actor was recognised for his role in Behind the Candelabra, Michael spoke about the brutality of the prison system.
"At first I was certainly disappointed with my son, but I've reached a point now where I'm disappointed with the system," he said. "If you happen to have a slip, they punish you. In my son's case, he has spent almost two years in solitary confinement."
© Photo: Getty ImagesCameron was arrested in 2009 and sentenced for possessing drugs
Cameron has also penned an open letter, which was published in the Huffington Post. He questioned the way in which non-violent drug abusers are punished by the system.
"This outdated system pays little, if any, concern to the disease of addiction, and instead punishes it more harshly than many violent crimes," wrote Cameron. "I'm not saying that I didn't deserve to be punished, or that I'm worthy of special treatment. I made mistakes and I'll gladly and openly admit my faults.
"However, I seem to be trapped in a vicious cycle of relapse and repeat, as most addicts are. Unfortunately, whereas the effective remedy for relapse should be treatment, the penal system's "answer" is to lock the door and throw away the key."
Earlier this year Michael, 71, also opened up about his "darkest moment" – discovering he had cancer at the same time Cameron was sentenced to prison.
"My oldest son Cameron has struggled with addiction for most of his life, he was a serious heroin addict, that brought him into federal prison," Michael said in an interview with Megyn Kelly. "It broke my heart, the combination."
