KAIT-Jonesboro, AR-News, weather, sports, classifieds-State Board Approves Early Parole for Nearly 700 Inmates
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NOVEMBER 27, 2006 - Posted at 3:47 p.m. CST
PINE BLUFF, AR - The Arkansas Board of Corrections invoked the Emergency Powers Act today to allow early parole for 687 inmates.
The state law advances the release date for inmates by up to 90 days. The act has been used every 90 days since November 1998 to address the backlog of state inmates housed in county jails. In the next 90 days, an estimated 606 male prisoners and 81 female prisoners will be considered for release early from prison.
Currently, 602 people convicted of crimes are waiting in county jails for a state prison bed.
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
