REVEALED: Prisoners set for release on public holidays such as Easter and Christmas are walking free from jail days earlier because Centrelink is shut
- Prisoners whose release date falls on a bank holiday have been released early
- Authority said prisoners are more likely to re-offend if certain services were shut
- Days can be removed for ‘good behaviour’ on ’emergency management’ days
- Between 2010 and 2018 over 1000 days were taken of hundreds of sentences
Prisoners due for release on public holidays such as Easter and Christmas have had their sentences slashed, it’s been revealed.
Inmates behind bars in Victorian facilities have been allowed to walk free earlier than expected because their release date fell on a bank holiday – and services such as Centrelink would be closed.
Hundreds of convicted criminals collectively had more than 1000 days shaved off their sentences between 2010 and 2018 thanks to the bizarre bank holiday discount.
Each inmate, including some who had served time in a maximum security prison, had between one and five days deducted from their time in jail, The Herald Sun reported.
Prisoners who are due to be released on public holidays such as Easter and Christmas could have their sentence slashed (File picture)
The divisive decision to prematurely release prisoners was made because amenities such as supermarkets and banks wouldn’t be available for ex-inmates to use.
The authority reasoned that inmates would be unable to ‘manage their personal affairs’ if certain services were shut and would therefore be more likely to re-offend.
‘Releasing prisoners from custody on public holidays when few services are available – such as banks, Centrelink or supermarkets – restricts the ability of prisoners to manage their personal affairs and increases the risk of reoffending,’ a spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia.
‘As such, where a prisoner’s sentence is due to expire on a public holiday, Corrections Victoria may grant an Emergency Management Day to facilitate a slightly earlier release.’
The authority reasoned that inmates would be unable to ‘manage their personal affairs’ if certain services such as Centrelink were shut and would therefore be more likely to re-offend
Prisoners are also able to get days shaved off their sentence if they exhibit good behaviour during emergency scenarios or industrial disputes.
Documents acquired by the publication show more than 60,000 ’emergency management’ days have been taken off prisoner’s sentences over the last nine years.
In 2017, a fire broke out at Port Phillip Prison which resulted in around 30,000 days being removed from hundreds of prison sentences.
In 2012, when an extensive industrial action was underway 18,000 applications were made by prisoners hoping to reduce their sentences.
It’s understood up to 26,7000 days were removed from sentences.
A spokesperson for Corrections Victoria reiterated only prisoners who exhibited ‘good behaviour’ were granted the ‘short’ sentence reduction.
In 2017, a fire broke out at Port Phillip Prison (pictured) which resulted in around 30,000 days removed from hundreds of prison sentences
‘Emergency Management Days have been in place in Victoria since 1992 and are used to help maintain the safety, security and good order of the prison system,’ they said.
‘Emergency Management Days allow prisoners who have been of good behaviour during an emergency or industrial dispute, and whose routine has been severely disrupted, to qualify for a short amount of time to be deducted from their sentence.
‘Each application is considered based on the circumstances of the disruption and the behaviour of prisoner that has been affected, in accordance with the requirements of Section 58 of the Corrections Act 1986,’ they concluded.
But as spokesperson for Opposition corrections disagreed and said people ‘rightly expected’ inmates to serve their entire sentence.
‘Giving jail discounts of nearly 30,000 days in just one year seems overly generous to criminals by the Andrews Labor Government,’ they said.