The former director of a Bridgeport job training center, who pleaded guilty to bribing former state Senator Ernie Newton, escaped a prison sentence Friday.

Warren Godbolt is the former executive director of Progressive Training Associates, a non-profit organization that provides job training to low-income people. Godbolt admitted to paying the former state senator $5,000 in exchange for receiving a $100,000 grant to the non-profit agency.

The judge, citing Godbolt's cooperation in the investigation, chose not to send him to jail. Instead the judge sentenced Godbolt to three years probation, including six months of home confinement with electronic monitoring. He was also ordered to perform 300 hours of community service and pay a $25,000 fine.