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A total of 621 life convict prisoners have been prematurely released from prisons since 2021, the Tamil Nadu government informed the Assembly on Friday (April 5, 2025).

Following an announcement by the Chief Minister in the Assembly on September 13, 2021, that life convict prisoners would be released on humanitarian grounds as a goodwill gesture, the government had framed guidelines for the premature release of thoe who had completed 10/14 years of actual imprisonment as of September 15, 2021, and September 15, 2023, respectively.

“As per the above orders, 621 life convict prisoners have been released up to February 28, 2015,” the government said. Another 31 life sentenced prisoners have been released under the Advisory Board scheme from May 2021 to February this year.

Based on the new Tamil Nadu Prison Rules 2024, Standard Operating Procedures have been framed for the consideration of the premature release of life convict prisoners through a State-Level Committee headed by the Secretary of the Home Department, it said.