A Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, March 4 approved the release on parole of 1,847 prisoners, allowing them to leave prison before serving their full sentence. Parole enables inmates to serve the remaining part of their sentence in the community under supervision. Unlike pardon, clemency or amnesty, which fully forgive a crime after conviction, parole does not erase the sentence nor the crime. An individual remains legally bound to complete the remainder of the term while outside prison. ALSO READ: Close to 1,900 convicts set to be released on parole The system is designed to support the gradual reintegration of inmates into society while maintaining legal supervision and safeguards to ensure public safety. Under the law governing criminal procedure, eligibility for parole depends on both the length of the sentence and the portion already served. Inmates sentenced to five years or less may be considered after completing at least one quarter of their sentence. ALSO READ: Presidential pardon: Can ex-convicts hold public office again? While those serving more than five years become eligible only after completing at least one third of their term. Prisoners serving life sentences may apply for parole after serving a minimum of 15 years. However, meeting these thresholds does not automatically guarantee release. Authorities also assess factors such as the inmate’s behaviour in prison, progress in rehabilitation programmes, and overall compliance with correctional regulations. ALSO READ: ‘I am coming back a changed man,’ says prisoner released on parole An inmate seeking parole submits a request to the Minister of Justice through the Commissioner General of the Rwanda Correctional Service. For prisoners held in military correctional facilities, the application is first channelled through the Minister of Defence before it reaches the Minister of Justice. Once granted parole, the beneficiary must comply with several conditions. Within 15 days of the publication of the ministerial order approving their release, the individual must report to the prosecutor at the primary level of their place of residence and provide details of their village, cell, sector, and district. They are also required to appear before the prosecutor once every month on a date determined by the prosecution office. Parolees must also seek authorisation from the Minister of Justice if they wish to travel outside the country. In cases where circumstances prevent them from reporting in person, they may notify the prosecutor through available communication technology and explain the reason for their absence. ALSO READ: Cabinet approves release of prisoners on parole The conditions attached to parole remain in force until the remaining part of the original prison sentence has been completed. Depending on the conduct of the beneficiary, some conditions may later be modified or lifted upon request to the Minister of Justice. Parole can also be revoked. Upon request from the Public Prosecution, the Minister of Justice may cancel the conditional release if the beneficiary commits another offence, engages in serious misconduct, or fails to comply with the conditions attached to their release. Hillary Emmanuel Sengabo, the Spokesperson of the Rwanda Correctional Service (RCS), said parole should be understood as a discretionary measure intended to encourage rehabilitation and good conduct among inmates. It is an exercise organised every year, but it is not a right of the inmante. It is a request, Sengabo said. It also encourages good behaviour among those who remain in prison. Sometimes, there are individuals who were initially on the list and were later removed because of misconduct. When they finally see their peers being released, it motivates them to behave well so that they may be considered in the future,” he said. If parole is revoked, the individual must return to prison to serve the remainer of the original sentence. In urgent situations, the prosecution may order the arrest of a parolee before the formal revocation process is completed. Parole and presidential pardon In contrast, presidential pardon, granted by the Head of State, is an act of clemency that forgives all or part of a sentence. Unlike parole, pardon removes or reduces the punishment itself, meaning the individual is no longer required to serve the remaining time in prison. The law also provides for suspension of the execution of penalties, where a court decides that a sentence will not be carried out immediately. With a suspended sentence, the convicted person remains free unless they commit another offence or fail to meet the conditions set by the court, which can trigger the enforcement of the original sentence. Meanwhile, amnesty is a broader legal measure adopted by law, usually applying to a group of people rather than individuals. It effectively wipes away the legal consequences of certain offences, meaning those covered by amnesty are released from punishment and the offence is treated as though it had not occurred. Jean Paul Ibambe, a lawyer, said the purpose of parole and other conditional release mechanisms goes beyond simply reducing the prison population. He explained that research increasingly shows imprisonment alone does not necessarily reduce crime or prevent recidivism, which is why justice systems are adopting more flexible approaches that combine punishment with rehabilitation. “While punishment is necessary, the goal should not simply be to inflict suffering but to help offenders reform so that when they return to society they can live responsibly,” Ibambe said. The lawyer said conditional release can also play an important social role by helping families rebuild and supporting reconciliation within communities. “When sentences are adjusted or conditional release is granted, families can reunite earlier and individuals have a better chance to rebuild their lives. In many cases it also creates space for reconciliation with victims and reduces the psychological harm prolonged incarceration may cause,” Ibambe said.
