The Saskatchewan government has apologized to a man who was supposed to spend 45 days in jail, but instead spent six months locked up.

Kyle Dufresne, 19, who's from the Joseph Bighead First Nation, was sentenced to serve a month and a half in jail for breaching his probation.

Instead, Dufresne spent an extra 4½ months in jail in Meadow Lake, Prince Albert and Regina.

Dufresne said he tried to tell guards and case workers there was a mistake, but no one would listen to him. He was released two weeks ago.

"I was talking to those guards there, and they said they don't know anything about my case," he said.

Corrections, Public Safety and Policing Minister Daryl Hickie apologized to Dufresne in the Saskatchewan legislature.

"I wish to offer a very heartfelt, sincere apology to Mr. Dufresne on behalf of the people of Saskatchewan," Hickie said.

"This is a very unfortunate incident, situation that occurred with him and it's one that should never have happened." The ministry will be conducting a review to find out how this happened, Hickie said.

Hickie has been handling a series of controversies involving prisoners since the summer, when six men — several of them facing murder charges — escaped from the Regina Correctional Centre.

The past week, Hickie has been dealing with more questions about other prisoners who were released by accident. Hickie suspended the deputy minister of his department as well as two corrections workers while the incidents are investigated.

The latest incident involving Dufresne is also under investigation, Hickie said Thursday.

The New Democratic Party opposition used the latest incident as an excuse to ask Hickie who's in charge in his department.

NDP MLA Kevin Yates noted it was 11 days after Dufresne was released before Hickie found out about it.