Overview

• Over 100 prisoners in Hesse and 70 in Rheinland-Pfalz have been released early under the Christmas amnesty program, with similar initiatives in other states like Berlin and North Rhine-Westphalia.
• The program targets inmates whose sentences were set to end between late November 2024 and early January 2025, provided they meet specific behavioral and legal criteria.
• Sexual offenders, violent criminals, and those serving long sentences or with poor prison conduct are excluded from the amnesty.
• Justice officials emphasize the benefits of family reunification during the holidays as a key step toward resocialization and a crime-free future.
• The early release also allows former inmates to complete administrative tasks, such as arranging housing or accessing social services, before the start of the new year.