I'm not sure it's so outrageous, Eugene. It was originally assumed, given legal precedent, that he'd get about a year in jail. The near-maximum sentence was handed down in large part due to the drug situation that occurred between arrest and trial. It only makes sense then that a treatment option (remember, he is technically a first-time offender) would result in a reduced sentence. In a world where all kinds of criminals are routinely given shorter sentences for all kinds of good-behavior reasons, I'm not sure this is any kind of special treatment.

Further, I expect him to be lustily booed upon resumption of his career by pretty much all fans besides his own home city. And many of those will likely keep him at arm's length, too. That said, once he's "paid his debt" to society, shouldn't he be allowed to rejoing said society? If all criminals are permanently marginalized, won't they all fall right back into criminal behavior?