Jailbirds of Kerensky

Jailbirds of Kerensky (Птенцы Керенского, Ptentsy Kerenskogo) was the informal term used during the Russian Revolution for people who were released from Russian jails on amnesty. A total of three amnesties were enacted by Russian Minister of Justice Alexander Kerensky in 1917. According to some historians, about 90,000 political prisoners were released along with an unknown number of non-political prisoners.

When Kerensky was appointed a minister of Justice in the newly established Russian Provisional Government, on 16 March 1917 Russian Ministry of Justice abolished special civil courts, the Okhrana (Russian secret police), and the Russian Gendarmerie. On 19 March 1917 the Kerensky's ministry issued an order of political amnesty. Following that on 27 March 1917 there was announced military amnesty and after three days the Ministry of Justice issued a ruling "On the relief of the fate of persons who have committed criminal offenses" (Об облегчении участи лиц, совершивших уголовные преступления).

Following the amnesty, on 22 March 1917 bureau of the Central Committee of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (bolsheviks) adopted resolution about the Provisional Government which stated that the main task of Soviets is "universal arming of people and, in particular, immediate creation of the workers' Red Guards throughout the country". On 26 March 1917 this decision was published in the newspaper "Pravda".