Total of 8,339 inmates have been freed as of March 14 as a result of broad amnesty which went into effect in January, ministry for penitentiary system said on Friday.

The main phase of the amnesty was completed on March 13 and now the amnesty may apply to those 800 inmates who were convicted for swindle charges.

Such inmates, however, will only be able to leave jails if victims of their crimes give their consent. Courts have four months to review such cases.

Georgia’s prison population more than halved, mainly due to the broad amnesty this year, compared to January, 2012 when number of inmates was over 24,000.

The amnesty was also granted to over 12,700 convicts with suspended sentences; over 8,260 of them got full exemption from their suspended sentences and others’ sentences were reduced.

Parliament passed amnesty bill in December and it was enforced in mid-January after the legislative body overturned presidential veto.