Stuttgart (dpa/lsw) - Around 200 prisoners benefited from the so-called Christmas amnesty of the Baden-Württemberg judiciary this year and got out of prison early. This was announced by Justice Minister Marion Gentges (CDU) on Wednesday in Stuttgart. The amnesty has existed in the southwest for almost 60 years. "It benefits the inmates whose prison sentences would end in the last few weeks of the year. People shouldn't be out on the streets when the counseling centers and social welfare offices aren't available between the years."

Among other things, the prisoners who were sentenced to imprisonment by a court in the country and whose sentence ended between November 17, 2022 and January 6, 2023 inclusive were able to benefit, the Ministry of Justice further announced. Around 200 people were also affected in 2020 and 2021. According to the ministry, there are currently around 6,700 prisoners in the country's prisons.