Royal mercy for inmates

Thanks to the royal clemency, 85 deathrow convicts including Dr Wisut Boonkasemsanti and Major Chalermchai Matchaklam saw their capital punishment commuted to life imprisonment.

"This is to make merits in dedication to His Majesty and also to give convicted inmates a chance to reform themselves," Corrections Department director general Wanchai Roujanavong disclosed yesterday.

The Supreme Court sentenced Wisut to death in July for killing his estranged wife Dr Phassaporn and dismembering her body to conceal the crime in 2001. Chalermchai received the death sentence from the Supreme Court last year for murdering thenYasothon governor Preena Leepattanaphan in 2001.

Wanchai said that many convicts with good behaviours were given reduced jail terms.

"More than 10,000 convicts will be released," he added.

According to him, the convicts who will be allowed to leave prisons under the royal pardons come from seven groups. First, they are inmates whose remaining jail term is now less than one year.

Second, they are inmates who were totally blind or without both hands or without both legs. Third, they are inmates whom, following more than three months of treatments, at least two doctors stated that would not recover from cancer, leprosy, chronic kidney failure, cancer,

Aids or mental illnesses during their time in jail. Fourth, they are firsttime female convicts who have already served at least half of their jail term. Fifth, they are convicts aged over 60 years old who have already served at least one third of their jail term.

Sixth, they are firsttime convicts aged under 20 years old who have already served at least half of their jail term, Seventh, convicts with excellent behaviours and whose remaining jail term is less than two years.