BATON ROUGE – Former Gov. Edwin Edwards returns to civilian life on Wednesday, freed from house arrest and allowed to go his own way, with only probation restrictions impinging on his freedom.

Edwards, who will be 84 later this year, is completing a federal prison sentence.

He's also preparing for his third wedding, a book tour and a possible TV reality show.

And the Louisiana political icon shows no sign of having lost touch with voters during his time behind bars.

A new Facebook page Edwards launched only a few weeks ago quickly received thousands of "friends," including voters who say they wish he could run again.

Edwards will end his home confinement by filling out paperwork at the halfway house where he's been reporting since January. He'll be on probation for three years. Edwards served eight years in prison for a scheme to rig riverboat casino licenses.