SPRINGFIELD - George Ryan once spent his time working on a tan at the island vacation home of a campaign contributor.

In the coming weeks, the former governor instead will be donning tan coveralls and possibly picking up trash or trimming grass on the grounds of his new home - a minimum-security federal prison.

The former Illinois governor, convicted in federal court last April of racketeering and corruption, is set to join about 190,000 other federal prisoners at one of more than 100 federal lock-ups in the nation.

Although his final destination remains unknown - as does the exact start-date of the 78-month prison sentence he received Wednesday - the federal Bureau of Prisons generally attempts to place inmates within 500 miles of their homes.

Prisons within that proximity of the governor's Kankakee home include: Pekin, Terre Haute, Ind,; Springfield, Mo.; and Oxford, Wis.

As an inmate, the 72-year-old Republican will be allowed to bring his identification, legal papers and his wedding bands with him.

He will be allowed visits with family, friends and attorneys. And, he'll get some free time each day, with access to an exercise area.

But he also will likely be assigned some kind of job, whether it's in a prison kitchen or as a groundskeeper. The pay ranges from about 12 cents to $1 per hour.

Federal prison spokesman Mike Truman said the former governor's lodging will be more like a dormitory, but it won't be too cushy.

"It wouldn't be like a cell with bars on the doors," said Truman.

As for cellmates, Ryan is likely to share his room with at least one other inmate, Truman said.