The justice ministry has decided to release more than one-thousand inmates on parole amid a rapid spread of omicron cases in correctional facilities.

The ministry announced on Wednesday that it will release a total of one-thousand-31 inmates at 10 a.m. on Friday as part of its customary parole that coincides with the anniversary of the March First Independence Movement.

The ministry plans to release more prisoners on parole on February 28 but has yet to reveal the number of inmates.

The latest move is part of efforts to ease crowding at correctional facilities amid the rise in omicron cases, according to a ministry statement.

Most of the inmates who will be released are prisoners who have demonstrated good behavior and have underlying conditions or are elderly.