By Mark Vester

Undefeated junior middleweight prospect James Kirkland (25-0, 22KOs) will be released from prison on October 2 and could fight again before the year is out. Kirkland's manager Cameron Dunkin gave Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports the good news. Kirkland will enter a halfway house to finish up the remainder of his sentence. BoxingScene.com was previously told by Kirkland's co-manager and attorney, Michael Miller, that he would be able to leave the halfway house to train, and fight.

Kirkland has been away from the ring since last March, when he stopped Joel Julio in six rounds. He was set to fight on the Manny Pacquiao-Ricky Hatton pay-per-view last May, but those plans were broken when he was arrested last April for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. The first fight back will likely be a tune-up at a higher weight. Kirkland has put on some pounds in prison. Following his release, he will shed off the weight to resume his run at 154-pounds.

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