In the past year, German prisons released at least 6,125 inmates earlier than the originally scheduled end of their sentences, according to the “Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung”, which reports on a survey of state justice ministries.
Among the states that keep data, Baden‑Württemberg had the highest number of early releases, with 2,061 inmates freed prematurely. Lower Saxony followed with 896, and Hesse (Hessen) had a similar figure of 814.
Rhineland‑Palatinate released 485 inmates early, while the Saarland saw 361. Hamburg followed closely with 346. Other states with notable but smaller numbers include Berlin (326), Saxony (280), Brandenburg (202), Saxony‑Anhalt (137), and Thuringia (129). Bremen recorded the fewest early releases, at only 88.
In Saxony‑Anhalt, the exact count of early releases remains unclear. Bavaria, North Rhine‑Westphalia and Schleswig‑Holstein do not publish such data.
The proportion of early releases relative to total releases varies significantly across the states. In the Saarland, early exits accounted for roughly 45 % of all releases. Hesse and Baden‑Württemberg both had around 30 %, Lower Saxony close to 20 %. In contrast, Saxony and Thuringia had much lower shares, about 12 % and 8 % respectively.
