By: Finna Kahili

Offenders who are 60 or older, who as of 21 March this year, have served at least half of their sentences and maintained good conduct and are unlikely to pose any risk to society are among those being released from the Namibian correctional facilities.

In addition, offenders who have been medically declared to be permanently bedridden , as well as those who have served at least two-thirds of their sentence and had their conditional release approved before 21March this year, are also included in the pardon.

All these inmates are among the 2,228 offenders who will be pardoned and reprieved after the Namibian Correctional Service received a gazetted proclamation from President Nangolo Mbumba to release offenders in certain criteria.

Speaking at the media briefing on Thursday, Deputy Commissioner-General Sam Shaalulange stated that offenders who are categorised under non-serious offences such as property, petty crimes are set to be released on reprieve, depending on the number of years an offender has to serve.

While offenders who have been pardoned will be released if they have served two thirds of their sentence which are based on non-serious offences because they don’t pose a danger to society.

Shaalulange stated that offenders serving time for serious offences such as murder,rape, treason among other are not liable for pardon and reprieve.

The NSC will pardon over 300 offenders, and reprieve 1108. A total of 709 offenders on community supervision will be pardoned while 98 inmates on community supervision will be reprieved. These inmates were considered out of 4330 inmates in correctional facilities, and 1574 offenders on community supervision.

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