South African Olympic runner Oscar Pistorius granted parole, released from prison on Jan. 5

Oscar Pistorius, who killed his girlfriend, will be released on parole in January. He will be under constant monitoring.

Pretoria, South Africa - Oscar Pistorius, the double-amputee Olympic runner, has been granted parole, 10 years after being convicted of killing his girlfriend. Pistorius will be released from prison on January 5 and will be monitored by parole officials for five years until his sentence expires. According to Department of Corrections spokesman Singabakho Nxumalo, Pistorius will be confined to the Pretoria area, where he will be required to attend programs to address anger issues and violence against women. He will also have to perform community service.

The decision to grant parole was made at a hearing at the prison earlier Friday. Pistorius was initially convicted of culpable homicide, but that conviction was overturned, and he was convicted of murder after an appeal by prosecutors. Pistorius was ultimately sentenced to 13 years and five months in prison.

Pistorius was at the height of his fame and one of the world's most admired athletes when he killed his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. He has been in jail since late 2014 for the Valentine's Day 2013 killing of Steenkamp. The decision to grant him parole was made at a hearing at the prison earlier Friday.

Steenkamp's mother, June Steenkamp, did not oppose Pistorius' parole, but said in a statement before the hearing that she did not believe Pistorius had been fully rehabilitated and was still lying about the killing. She also stated that she did not believe Pistorius' version of the events.

While on parole, Pistorius is expected to live at his uncle's luxurious mansion in a wealthy Pretoria suburb, where he stayed during his murder trial. He was first sent to Pretoria's central prison and was moved to the city's Atteridgeville Correctional Centre in 2016. There have been only occasional glimpses of Pistorius' life behind bars, with his father saying he has been holding bible classes for fellow prisoners.

Pistorius was also found guilty of a second charge of recklessly firing a gun in a restaurant. He was known as the "Blade Runner" and was a multiple Paralympic sprinting champion. At his sensational trial, prosecutors argued there was another side to Pistorius' life that involved guns and angry confrontations with others.

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