A watchtower on the wall of Tegel Prison. (Archive photo)
© dpa
In Berlin, prisoners will once again be released early this year, allowing them to celebrate Christmas in freedom.
According to initial estimates, 70 to 80 prisoners in Berlin could benefit from the so-called Christmas amnesty, as a spokeswoman for the Senate Justice Administration said when asked.
That would be fewer than last year. At that time, a total of 100 offenders benefited from the "Gnadenerweis", as the "Christmas amnesty" is correctly called. In 2020, according to the judicial authorities, around 140 prisoners in the capital were released early for the holidays, and in 2019 and 2022, the figure was as high as 170 inmates in each case.
Under Justice Senator Felor Badenberg (CDU), the requirements for early release have become stricter. Previously, prisoners who would have been released between October and early January anyway were eligible for the scheme. This year, according to a spokeswoman, the period has been shortened to November 13, 2025, to January 3, 2026.
There are a number of other requirements for someone to be released early: these include that only prisoners who have not attracted negative attention during their imprisonment and who have not had to serve long prison sentences are eligible. In addition, it must be ensured that they have a roof over their heads—and that they themselves agree.