NEWS
NEWS
NEWS
Software bug leads to “thousands” of U.S. inmates being released too early
Washington State’s Department of Corrections is to be investigated after it admitted releasing more than 3,200 prisoners early due to a software bug in their computer systems.
The glitch apparently miscalculated time credits awarded to inmates for good behavior, causing them to be released earlier than they should have been.
While software glitches are fairly commonplace in every ‘industry’, most are usually spotted in good time. But unfortunately for the State of Washington, this particular bug dates back to 2002, when an update ruling about good behavior credits was introduced. According to CNN, three percent of all early release inmates since then were given “too much credit” for their good behavior.
CNN adds that those released too early were granted a median of 49 extra days of freedom that they shouldn’t of had. However, the BBC adds that in one case, a prisoner was released 600 days earlier than he should have been.
The worrying part is that authorities were actually informed of the bug back in 2012, but a fix was delayed for unknown reasons.
“These were serious errors with serious implications,” said an angry state governor Jay Inslee. “When I learned of this, I ordered DOC to fix this, fix it fast, and fix it right.”
“I have a lot of questions about how and why this happened, and I understand that members of the public will have those same questions,” he continued. “I expect the external investigation will bring the transparency and accountability we need to make sure this issue is resolved.”
Officials said that a full fix for the bug, the nature of which has not yet been revealed, should be implemented by January 7. Until then, all prisoner early releases have been canceled.
There’s also bad news in store for those prisoners who initially lucked out. Officials have said they will be required to return to prison to fulfill their sentences, though good behavior credits may be applied for some released inmates who’ve stayed out of trouble since being on the outside.
Photo Credit: noheadlights via Compfight cc
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