Christmas at home instead of in prison – the early release from prison is almost a custom in the judiciary. A total of several hundred prison days are saved in this way.
Magdeburg (dpa/sa) – This year, 22 prisoners in Saxony-Anhalt are expected to receive a sign of clemency before Christmas and be released from prison early. In 2021 there were 25 prisoners in the country, in 2020 a total of 26, as the Ministry of Justice in Magdeburg announced on request. It is commonly referred to as a Christmas amnesty. According to a provisional status from the end of November, a total of 556 days of imprisonment will not be carried out for the 22 prisoners. That corresponds to an average of just over 25 days per person. In 2021, a maximum of 45 days of imprisonment were released in individual cases, this year there are a maximum of 46 days of imprisonment.
Minister of Justice Franziska Weidinger (CDU) will decide in the first half of the calendar year in question whether a general arrangement will be made for the early release of prisoners on the occasion of Christmas.
Early release is an option for prisoners whose release is due between November 25, 2022 and January 9, 2023 anyway. For example, the final end of the sentence could fall during this time, a suspended sentence could be granted on probation, or a release from work could be counted towards the time of release.
According to the ministry, there are around 1,940 detention places in Saxony-Anhalt, most recently they were occupied by almost 1,600 prisoners. In most federal states there is the possibility of a Christmas amnesty.
