Grace for the feast - Christmas amnesty for 1000 prisoners
Around 1000 prisoners in Germany are released early and can therefore celebrate Christmas at home. This is the result of a survey conducted by the German Press Agency among the justice ministries of the federal states. This time, however, fewer are likely to benefit from the so-called Christmas amnesty. Several federal states reported a lower number of released prisoners than a year ago.
Prisoners who would have been released around the turn of the year anyway will benefit from the Christmas amnesty. However, there are also prisoners who refuse to be released early and prefer to spend Christmas in prison. According to the Ministry of Justice in Hanover, four prisoners in Lower Saxony, for example, opted out.
The largest number of prisoners released is in North Rhine-Westphalia. This year, the Christmas amnesty has given 322 prisoners early freedom. This was announced by the NRW Ministry of Justice in Düsseldorf in response to a dpa inquiry, but there could still be changes. Last year, 291 prisoners benefited from the pre-Christmas leniency of the justice system.
This is the distribution in selected states: In Baden-Württemberg, around 200 men and women were already allowed to leave prison early in mid-November. In Hesse, at least 93 prisoners were released early. There are 77 prisoners in Rhineland-Palatinate, 31 in Schleswig-Holstein, 29 in Brandenburg and 31 in Hamburg. 90 prisoners will be released in Berlin - according to the Berlin Senate of Justice, the final results of the Christmas amnesty will not be available until the beginning of 2024.
Prisoners in Saxony can still hope to be released
Prisoners in Saxony can also still hope: The responsible ministry in Dresden announced that the gates could open earlier than expected for more prisoners by Christmas Eve. Since mid-November, 19 adults have been released early.
Information on the Christmas amnesty was available from most of the federal states. As a matter of principle, Bavaria never grants amnesties at the end of the year, while Thuringia does not intend to publish figures until the new year. Last year, more than 1000 people were released early nationwide.
The Christmas amnesty has another purpose: "Early release at Christmas is intended to facilitate reintegration into society," said Baden-Württemberg's Justice Minister Marion Gentges (CDU).
Hesse's Minister of Justice Roman Poseck (CDU) said: "In addition, prisoners should be given the opportunity to take advantage of support services and visit counseling centers as well as deal with authorities before they cannot be reached at all or hardly at all due to the holidays."
The conditions are strict: only prisoners who have not attracted negative attention in prison and who have not served a long prison sentence are eligible. Prisoners who have now been released early usually served time for theft, drug offenses or insults, for example.
Read also:
- Snow chaos further restricts Bavaria
- Unanimous decision: faster wolf culls possible
- The year of climate records: extreme is the new normal
- Snow and ice paralyze southern Germany
- Despite fewer prisoners expected to benefit from the Christmas amnesty this year in several federal states, around 1000 individuals will still be released early to celebrate Christmas at home, as revealed by a survey conducted by the German Press Agency among the justice ministries.
- Prisoners in Lower Saxony, such as those in Hanover, have the option to reject the early release offered during the Christmas amnesty, with four individuals choosing to spend the holiday season behind bars.
- The Ministry of Justice in Düsseldorf announced that North Rhine-Westphalia has released 322 prisoners early due to the Christmas amnesty, a significant increase compared to the 291 individuals who benefited from the pre-Christmas leniency of the justice system last year.
- The Christmas amnesty has not been widely welcomed across all German states, with Bavaria refusing to grant end-of-year amnesties, while Thuringia will only release its figures in the new year.
- Berlin is set to release 90 prisoners early for the Christmas amnesty, but the final numbers will not be available until the beginning of 2024.
- Prisoners in Saxony can still hold out hope for early release before Christmas Eve as more prisoners are expected to be released by the end of the year, according to the responsible ministry in Dresden.
- The purpose of the Christmas amnesty, as stated by Baden-Württemberg's Justice Minister Marion Gentges, is to facilitate prisoners' reintegration into society.
- Prisoners in Lower Saxony, Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate, Schleswig-Holstein, Brandenburg, Hamburg, and Saxony have all benefited from the Christmas amnesty this year, with the conditions being strict and only eligible for prisoners who have not attracted negative attention or served long prison sentences.
Source: www.stern.de
