By Rick Reeno

BoxingScene.com has confirmed that earlier this morning, undefeated junior middleweight James Kirkland (25-0, 22KOs) was released from Bastrop Federal Prison in Bastrop, Texas, and is now driving to a halfway in Austin. Kirkland is going to spend several months at the halfway house to finish up the remainder of his sentence. Kirkland has been imprisoned since April 2009 after pleading guilty to a charge of gun possession by a convicted felon.

BoxingScene was told that Kirkland will begin training immediately for planned ring return on November 6 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The event will be an HBO televised doubleheader with Zab Judah (38-6, 26 KOs) facing Lucas Matthysse in the main event. Kirkland's return will not be televised but HBO is expected to show clips of his non-televised fight.