(04/06/06) BRIDGEPORT ? Former state Senator Ernie Newton spent time with friends and family Thursday before reporting to prison.

Newton was sentenced to five years behind bars for corruption. According to community activists, Newton?s presence will be sorely missed. They say he was a proactive leader who made himself highly accessible to Bridgeport residents.

The former senator says he plans on earning his master's degree and writing a book while in prison. Although Newton claims he?s not angry about going to prison, he does say his punishment does not fit the crime.

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