More than 4,000 offenders who repented their crimes while serving prison sentences are expected to be granted amnesty this year. — Photo tapchigiaothong.vn

HÀ NỘI — More than 4,000 offenders who repented their crimes while serving prison sentences are expected to be granted amnesty this year.

This was announced yesterday at a meeting of the Amnesty Consultancy Council, which approved the list of offenders  proposed for the President’s amnesty decision.

Speaking at the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister and chairman of the Amnesty Consultancy Council, Trương Hòa Bình, said the amnesty policy reflected the nation’s humanitarian tradition.

Việt Nam is strict toward repeat offenders and dangerous ones, but also tolerant and forgiving toward those repenting while serving their sentences, performing their duties to the best of their abilities and contributing to the efficiency of the national crime prevention programme, said Bình.

The law provides for favourable conditions for the reintegration of released inmates into society, he said.

Deputy Prime Minister Bình asked relevant ministries to ensure that the amnesty decisions are implemented seriously, transparently and in accordance with State regulations.The Deputy Prime Minister emphasised that authorities at different levels should help amnesty recipients stabilise their lives and eliminate discrimination against them.

Since 2009, a total of 81,795 prisoners have received early release and 919 others given reprieves of their sentences. Although the number of people receiving amnesty is large, the nation’s political security and social public order is stable, officials say.

The rate of prisoners given amnesty who recidivated was low. For example, six months after last year’s amnesty release, 83 former prisoners returned to crime, a rate of 0.44 per cent out of the 18,537 granted amnesty that year.

Việt Nam typically grants amnesty to prisoners on major national holidays, including the Lunar New Year (Tết) and Reunification Day. — VNS