Friday, Jul 24, 2026 The claims desk. Receipts included. POWERED BY LENZ ↗
IsThis

POLITICS

The Claim

In Brazil, about 52,000 incarcerated people were released at Christmas 2024 under an end-of-year temporary release program.

Verified by Lenz ·

The Short Version

The evidence does not support the claim’s 52,000 figure for Christmas 2024. Reliable reporting places that approximate number in Christmas 2023, while Christmas 2024 totals were lower—about 46,000 to 47,531—after legal changes reduced eligibility. The claim preserves the broad idea that many inmates received end-of-year release, but it assigns the wrong year’s number to 2024.

Caveats

  • The claim appears to conflate Christmas 2023 data with Christmas 2024 data.
  • A 2024 law changed eligibility rules, so prior-year totals are not a reliable guide to 2024.
  • 'About' does not cure the error here: the supported 2024 figures are materially lower than 52,000.

The Receipts

  1. Brazil jails: Hundreds of inmates use Christmas release to escape

    BBC News

  2. Brazil: Congress ends temporary prisoner releases

    Prison Insider

  3. Entenda as mudanças na legislação para a saída temporária de presos no Natal

    Estadão

  4. Pela segunda vez, Congresso acaba com saídas temporárias de presos em feriados

    Senado Federal

  5. Brazil Bill that ends temporary release for non-violent criminals is criticized by church

    Crux

  6. Thousands of Brazilian Prisoners Escape After Xmas Leave

    InSight Crime

  7. Justiça libera 736 presos para saída temporária de Natal na Grande São Luís

    G1

  8. The Brazilian Chamber of Deputies Approves Bill that Ends Temporary Releases for Prisoners

    Folha de S.Paulo

  9. VEP/DF divulga calendário de saídas temporárias de presos em 2024

    Tribunal de Justiça do Distrito Federal e Territórios

  10. Brasil soltou 57 mil presos na saidinha de Natal, e menos de 5% não voltaram para a cadeia

    Folha de S.Paulo

+ 17 more sources — see the full list on Lenz

Filed Under

Brazil

More Fact Checks