On Dec. 28, former Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford’s prison sentence was reduced to time served by Judge L. Scott Coogler of the Norther District of Alabama, accord to a statement released by Rep. Terri Sewell’s (D-AL) office.

Langford was sentenced to 15 years in prison in 2010 for a wide slate of offenses, including conspiracy, bribery, fraud, money laundering and filing false tax returns. Langford has served nearly nine years of that sentence and calls for his release have been mounting because of his deteriorating health.

“As I have said before, justice should be fair, but merciful,” Sewell said in her statement. “I am deeply grateful to all those who heeded our renewed call for the immediate compassionate release of Mayor Larry Langford.”

Among the people Sewell thanked for aiding in Langford’s release were Sen. Doug Jones (D-AL) and U.S. Attorney for the Northern District Jay Town, as well as “federal partners” and “all those who worked side-by-side” with her office to secure Langford’s release.

“The holiday season is a reminder of the importance of family, and the commutation of Mayor Langford’s sentence means that our former Mayor can spend his final days at home in Alabama with loved ones,” Sewell said in her statement. “My prayers are with the whole Langford family as they reunite and provide comfort to Mayor Langford in the days and weeks ahead.”

Sewell’s calls for Langford’s release began in 2015, under the Obama administration.

The congresswoman has been in constant contact with the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama and the White House “urging officials to permit Mayor Langford’s release after she was informed by his attorneys of the Mayor’s most recent hospitalization,” according to the statement.

Further, the statement notes that Langford has suffered from “worsening chronic health conditions for years and meets all of the legal criteria for a reduction in sentence.”