Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Software Error Releases Up To 3,200 Inmates Early (seattletimes.com)

Posted by Soulskill on from the your-tax-dollars-at-work dept.

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.

8 of 211 comments (clear)

  1. Pre-order for only $30MM tax dollars! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Sounds like the software was released early, too.

  2. Why do you hate America? by pla · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The Corrections Department is now trying to track down released inmates to make some of them finish their terms.

    Wow... How fucking maliciously vindictive and petty can Uncle Sam get?

    "Yeah, good job getting your life back together, congrats on landing that new job - Now get back in the goddamned cage."

    1. Re:Why do you hate America? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

      Please read the article before posting:

      "Many prisoners released early may not wind up being re-incarcerated, according to Brown. The law requires the state to give day-for-day credit in most cases to a prisoner who has been released early and hasn’t been found to break any laws since, he said."

    2. Re:Why do you hate America? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

      This sounds like par for the course. They have something called "Compassionate Release" -- it sounds quite magnanimous but is actually incredibly petty: throwing seriously ill inmates out onto the pavement to reduce medical expenses.

    3. Re:Why do you hate America? by erikkemperman · · Score: 5, Funny

      Please read the article before posting:

      You must be new here

      --
      Gosh, thanks. That must be why the other ships call me Meatfucker -- GCU Grey Area (Eccentric)
    4. Re:Why do you hate America? by sjames · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Agreed, 100%. Certainly telling them their debt to society is paid and then going back for more is unusual. It has an element of cruelty to it as well.

      If anyone wonders why some people act as if society is their enemy, here's the answer, because it acts like an enemy.

  3. Nothing to see. Move along. by Frosty+Piss · · Score: 5, Informative

    Folks, most of these "early releases" were around 45 days early. Nothing to see. Move along.

    --
    If you want news from today, you have to come back tomorrow.
  4. Re:Cruel and Unusual by dex22 · · Score: 5, Funny

    It occurred to me that if we replaced airbags with shotgun cartridges people might start driving carefully and stop running into other cars and things.