Magistracy moves to release prisoners remanded for petty crimes, some drug offences

In the aftermath of the devastation of the Camp Street prison, which left authorities scrambling to accommodate the roughly 1,000 inmates who had been housed there, the magistracy yesterday moved to release some prisoners being held for petty crimes.

Up to yesterday, many of the prisoners were still being held near the Lusignan Prison, where magistrates were sent to grant self-bail to those remanded for a range of petty crime. They were also to reduce or review bail for some who were remanded over possession of certain amounts of narcotics as well as other crimes.

Many of the city courts were