Christmas amnesty: Twelve prisoners celebrate freedom in Wöllstein!

Christmas amnesty: Twelve prisoners celebrate freedom in Wöllstein!

Rohrbach bei Wöllstein, Deutschland - Freedom for Christmas! Today is a very special day for twelve men and women who are allowed to leave their cells in the Rohrbach correctional facility near Wöllstein (Alzey-Worms district). Thanks to the so -called Christmas amnesty, you can spend the holidays with your family and friends instead of sitting behind bars. The Rhineland-Palatinate Ministry of Justice has announced that these prisoners will receive their remaining prison sentence.

The decision as to who is released prematurely lies in the hands of the public prosecutor, who acts as a "grace authority". But not every prisoner is entitled to this special grace. The regular prison sentence must end between November 20 and January 6th, and there are strict criteria that must be fulfilled. For example, the prisoners must not be homeless and must have remained punitive without prison. In addition, there may be no deportations or expulsions.

practical reasons for early discharge

The early discharge before Christmas also has practical reasons. The prisoners should have the opportunity to better integrate into society. The search for a job or an apartment is particularly difficult because many advice centers and authorities are closed during the holidays. The Christmas amnesty, which has been a tradition in Rhineland-Palatinate since 1989, is not legally defined, but is decided in individual cases. And the best? There is the possibility that even more prisoners will be released from the JVA Rohrbach before Christmas, since the public prosecutor is currently examining the cases of seven other prisoners.