MOSCOW, September 28 - RAPSI. More than 35 percent of prison inmates were released on parole in Russia in 2012, correctional service spokesman Sergei Filimonov said at the Civic Chamber meeting on Friday.

"Forty-two thousand were released on parole in the first six months, or 35.8 percent of all individuals serving terms in prison," Filimonov said.

He added, that 175,000 convicts are presently entitled to parole. At the moment, there are 700,000 prisoners in correctional institutions.

"Of them, 71,000 decided to exercise this right and filed petitions with courts," he went on to say.

He noted that 4,200 prisoners with unfavorable references have been released by courts so far this year despite penitentiary officer statements that they do not deserve parole. Meanwhile, over 9,000 prisoners with favorable references have failed to receive the court's consent to be released on parole.