[One of my co-workers joked “Maybe the Police can’t catch the real criminals so they set the others free so that they can catch them again!” In this country, all I can see is that if you’re a criminal, the Law is ALWAYS on your side – and if you are an honest citizen, protecting what is rightfully yours – you will find the law is against you. Jan]

Cape Town – The first prisoners to be released under the government’s remission of sentence programme will be freed on Monday, correctional services spokesperson Graham Abrahams said on Friday.

The releases, which will include a batch of women and juvenile offenders from Pollsmoor in Cape Town, would take place from prisons throughout the country, he added.

Correctional Services Minister Ngconde Balfour, who is also a Presbyterian lay minister, is scheduled to preach at a service on Sunday at the Hawequa Youth Correctional Centre at Wellington in the Western Cape.

Among those listening will be 107 young offenders who will also be freed on Monday.

Abrahams said the staggered releases would continue for at least eight weeks, in line with the department’s announcement that the remission programme would be implemented over a ten week period from June 1.

He declined to give a total for the anticipated releases, but said week-by-week statistics would be made available as prisoners were freed.

The department said earlier that the numbers were expected to run into the thousands.

Under the programme a maximum of six months special remission of sentences will be granted to all sentenced offenders, probationers, parolees and day parolees irrespective of the crime category.

An additional maximum of 14 months special remission of sentence would be granted in respect of offenders guilty of certain crimes, other than violent crimes.

Violent crimes include murder, robbery, domestic violence and sexual abuse.

Source: News24.Com
URL: http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/New…/p>