Woman Jailed in Error Is Freed After 3 1/2 Weeks

A woman mistakenly jailed for a sentence she had already served was released when a note she wrote reached a public defender, authorities said.

Mildred Graden, 35, was kept in Lycoming County Jail for 3 1/2 weeks until her release Tuesday.

Officials blame a records mistake.

Graden had been sentenced in February to 60 days for delinquent child support payments. When she failed to pay a $300 fine, a warrant was issued for her arrest.

But when Graden reported to jail, the warrant was never removed from the jail’s active file, officials said.

Graden served her sentence and was released early. On Oct. 30, while she was visiting an inmate, jail officials had her arrested.