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(Salt Lake City-AP) -- Corrections officials say overcrowding at the Utah State Prison is forcing the early release of at least a dozen female offenders.
The state parole board has begun selecting prisoners fit for early release.
Those eligible will be nonviolent, non-sex offenders who have no record of discipline problems in prison and who have already been awarded parole dates.
Corrections department data shows the prison has been at or above its 401-maximum-bed capacity for more than 156 days.
Officials say if new commitments continue at their current pace, the release won't really be anything more than temporary relief.
(Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
