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Software Error Releases Up To 3,200 Inmates Early (seattletimes.com)
An anonymous reader writes: Governor Jay Inslee announced Tuesday that software used by the Washington Department of Corrections has been making mistakes in calculating sentences since 2002, resulting in thousands of inmates leaving prison early. Corrections officials learned of a problem in 2012. A patch to fix the faulty software will be implemented next month. Here's how the bug happened: When people are convicted of a crime, they're given a base sentence. On top of that, there can be extra periods of time — for example, using a firearm might add five years on top of the base sentence. While in prison, inmates can earn time off their sentence for good behavior or participating in work/education programs — but it can only apply to their base sentence. The software involved applied the inmates' good behavior credits to each section of their sentence. The Corrections Department is now trying to track down released inmates to make some of them finish their terms.
Sounds like the software was released early, too.
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Gosh, thanks. That must be why the other ships call me Meatfucker -- GCU Grey Area (Eccentric)
I think releasing an inmate and then trying to put him back in prison due to an error in the system constitutes cruel and unusual punishment. On the other hand, I think illegal drugs and drunkenness are such a huge problem that we should execute all caught driving drunk or possessing any amount of illegal drugs to be executed within 48 hours of their arrest on the first offense. And I include even the very young in that as well. I don't care if it is an eleven year old smoking crack. He should be put to death at once.
That's a legal technicality, not a technical technicality.