32 prison inmates, including three women, were released from Aweil State Prison in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State on Friday morning after being pardoned by Aweil High Court President Judge Abraham Majur Lat.
According to prison authorities, the pardoned convicts were jailed for petty crimes and were pardoned to help mitigate the congestion at the prison amid the outbreak and spread of diseases.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Friday, Aweil State Prison Director Major General John Angok Deng confirmed that Judge Majur officially released 32 inmates, bringing down the number to 739 inmates at the facility.
“Today (Friday), the president of the high court has officially released 32 inmates, including men, women, and juveniles, and the current parade in the prison is reduced to 739,” said Deng. “The convicts who were responsible for committing petty crimes have been freed officially without paying any money.”
Celebrating their pardon, one of the released inmates, Diing Kuol, said their release was a gift from the state government and vowed to increase awareness for people to abandon all forms of crime so that they will not face the same consequences.
“We were released from the prison without payment, and some of us were involved in alcohol abuse, theft, and other crimes,” he said. “Our promise, as we are signing out of the prison, is that we are going to advise our community members to refrain from crimes.”
Kuol thanked the orison officials and said they were treated well in detention.
Another former inmate, Nyibol Aguer, who had an infant in prison, lauded their release and said her child would develop good health.
“I am from the Pachier Clan of the Dinka Malual in Northern Bahr el Ghazal, and I am happy that the government has released us,” she said. “I appeal to my colleagues outside there to avoid all crimes. I spent one month out of two of the jail term, and my infant was not healthy during that time. I am committed to not repeating the crime I committed.”