Instead of in prison, they can celebrate Christmas at home: for years, some criminals from Thuringia’s prisons have been released before the festival. But they have to meet requirements.
Erfurt (dpa/th) – Seven prisoners in Thuringia were released early from prison because of Christmas. The Thuringian Ministry of Justice announced that they had already been released at the end of November. Other cases are currently being examined. However, this is not a “Christmas amnesty”; rather, the basis for the releases is a decree by the Minister of Justice about “mercy on the occasion of Christmas”.
In Thuringia, the prison gates have been open to inmates early during the Advent season since 2002 after individual checks have been carried out. Among other things, the prerequisites are that the total sentence must not be more than two years, that accommodation and a livelihood are ensured and that no extradition proceedings are ongoing, the ministry said. In addition, there should be no immediate drug therapy and those affected should not be in prison for a sexual offence. There are currently 1348 people in Thuringian prisons (as of December 13th).
