Consider conditional early release for 110 prisoners

Overview of the meeting. Photo: Pham Bang

On the morning of August 9, the People's Court of Nghe An province held a meeting to consider conditional early release in the first phase of 2018 for prisoners serving their sentences at Nghe An Provincial Police Detention Center, Prison No. 3, and Prison No. 6.

Attending the meeting were members of the council including the Provincial People's Court, the Provincial People's Procuracy, the Provincial Police, Prison No. 3, Prison No. 6, and the Provincial Police Detention Camp.

Conditional early release from prison is a new measure in the execution of prison sentences, first prescribed and supplemented in the Penal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code.

This policy not only ensures deterrence, education and rehabilitation of criminals, and the fight against crime, but also has humane and humanitarian significance, opening up new opportunities for criminals to quickly reintegrate into the community, while reducing pressure and resources for criminal management.

According to the provisions of the Penal Code, a person serving a prison sentence for a serious crime, a very serious crime, or an especially serious crime whose prison sentence has been reduced, or a person serving a prison sentence for a less serious crime, may be released from prison early when meeting all the following conditions: first-time offender; making significant progress, showing good reform intentions; having a clear place of residence; having completed the additional penalty of a fine, the obligation to compensate for damages, and court fees; having served at least half of the term of imprisonment or at least 15 years in the case of a life sentence that has been reduced to a term of imprisonment.

Based on the regulations and implementing the plan of the Ministry of Public Security, Nghe An Provincial Police Detention Camp, Prison No. 3, Prison No. 6 have done a good job of propagating to prisoners and relatives of prisoners about conditional early release, such as organizing for prisoners to study, publicly posting regulations in public places, doing a good job of propaganda and education so that prisoners are fully aware of the subjects, conditions, and standards for enjoying the conditional early release policy.

Handing over amnesty decisions to prisoners. Photo archive

According to the representative of Prison No. 6, in addition to the conditions and standards prescribed to complete the application for early release from prison such as: Time of serving sentence, classification process, crime, sentence, determining that the subjects when released from prison have a clear place of residence and do not affect security and order in the area is a necessary regulation.

After the verification process, the Provincial Police Detention Center, Prison No. 3, and Prison No. 6 have created files of 110 prisoners (of which the Provincial Police Detention Center has 5 files, Prison No. 6 has 70 files, and Prison No. 3 has 35 files) to submit to the council for approval of conditional early release.

At the meeting, the council members will review each file, then agree to submit it to the People's Court of Nghe An province to issue a decision on conditional early release.

After that, the detention camps and prisons will organize the announcement and hand over the decision to the prisoners. These prisoners, after being released early on conditional terms, will return to their localities and be under the management, supervision and education of the commune police and local authorities.