LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska's corrections department is upgrading its computer software to calculate more prison sentences automatically following news last year that hundreds of inmates were released too early.
Gov. Pete Ricketts announced Monday that the upgrades should be completed by October.
An investigative committee concluded last year that prison officials ignored several Nebraska Supreme Court rulings that outlined the correct way to calculate sentences.
In addition, many of the incorrect sentences were calculated manually by corrections staff because of gaps in the current online system. Ricketts says the changes will help automate and streamline the process.
Nebraska Department of Correctional Services Director Scott Frakes says the new software will help minimize the possibility of human error in the calculation process. Frakes says the changes are one step toward prison reform.
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.