A dozen killers including Veronica Guerin hitman Brian Meehan have had their early release from jail stopped.
They are all being forced to serve longer sentences at Shelton Abbey open prison in Co Wicklow while the new Independent Parole Board deals with their cases and also due to objections to some of their proposed releases from the families of the victims.
Normally when a prisoner is sent to Shelton they are allowed back on the streets under licence and subject to certain conditions, after a year or two.