The Ministry of Justice has suspended an order to release a further 380 convicts on parole, which had intended to reduce prison overcrowding. The order was issued on March 17th by a criminal court at Alajuela and made convicts, with less than 7 year prison sentences, including repeat offenders eligible for release.
A government official said that the order was suspended because it had achieved the goal of reducing prison overcrowding. Officials denied that the decision was prompted by the cases of inmates on parole who have been found involved in criminal acts.
The decision came shortly after it emerged that another inmate on parole had been accused of committing an armed robbery on a delivery truck in Purral.
Last March, prison overcrowding was at 45.85 per cent (4.817 inmates above normal capacity) and currently it lowered to 42.5 per cent (3.887 inmates).
Source: La Nación.