Financial Times FT.com

US states free prisoners to cut budget deficits

By Hal Weitzman in Chicago

Published: November 13 2009 17:57 | Last updated: November 13 2009 17:57

Freedom came early this week for 62 inmates of Illinois state prisons.

The former prisoners became the first of 1,000 low-level, non-violent offen­ders in the state to be let out of prison early over the next few months as Illinois battles a budget deficit that could reach $12bn (€8bn, £7.2bn) next year.

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