in World News California Gov. Gavin Newsom Poised to Release 8,000 ‘Most Dangerous’ Prisoners to Prevent Virus Spread
by Penny Starr
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has already released thousands of prisoners into communities across the state and now he is poised to release as many as 8,000 more by end of July, a move said to be necessary to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
This development, which the state announced on Friday, comes after the head of medical services for the state’s prison system was replaced following an inmate infection spike after more than 100 prisoners where transferred from the California Institution for Men in Chino from San Quentin.
“These actions are taken to provide for the health and safety of the incarcerated population and staff,” corrections Secretary Ralph Diaz said in a written statement. “We aim to implement these decompression measures in a way that aligns both public health and public safety.”
The Los Angeles Times reported on Newsom’s plan:
Initial prisoner releases would come from those with 180 days or less left to serve on their sentence. No one serving time for a crime defined in state law as violent or involving domestic violence would be set free, officials said. Those required to register as sex offenders or who are assessed as being a high risk for violence would also be ineligible for early release.
The second group of prisoners who could be released would have no more than one year left to serve. The releases are aimed at reducing the populations at eight state prisons identified as higher risk for coronavirus transmissions. The same eligibility rules as the first group of released prisoners would apply in these releases.
In all cases, prison officials said, priority will be given to those who are 30 or older. Prisoners under the age of 30 will be considered on a case-by-case basis.