Up to 950 inmates may be let out early amid COVID-19 concern
OLYMPIA — Hundreds of inmates will be released early from prison in the coming days as the state complies with a Supreme Court order to better protect prisoners from a COVID-19 outbreak inside Washington correctional facilities.
Under a plan submitted to the state’s highest court Monday, the focus will be on individuals incarcerated for nonviolent and drug- or alcohol-related offenses whose release dates are within six to eight months, as well as people held on lower-level supervision violations.
“This will help allow for increased physical distancing throughout the Department of Corrections system, reducing the population by up to 950 people to continue to reduce the risks to incarcerated individuals while balancing public safety concerns,“ Gov. Jay Inslee said in a statement.
The early release plan comes days after inmates staged a protest at the Monroe Correctional Complex, where seven incarcerated people have tested positive for the potentially deadly coronavirus.
https://www.heraldnet.com/news/up-to-950-inmates-may-be-let-out-early-amid-covid19-concerns/