Rikers Island jail complex. Coronavirus continues to spread in the New York's prisons and jails. Photo: Seth Wenig/APNew York to Release Up to 1,100 People Jailed on Parole Violations, Officials Say
Prior to release, each person will be evaluated based on their risk to public safety and whether post-release housing is available, the spokeswoman said.
March 27, 2020 at 06:33 PM
4 minute read
As many as 1,100 people jailed on parole violations throughout New York will be released as the coronavirus continues to spread in the state's prisons and jails, a spokeswoman for the state's Department of Corrections and Community Supervision confirmed Friday.
The state prison agency did not provide a date when the parole violators would be released, but reported the release would include about 400 inmates in New York City and about 700 from the rest of the state, according to initial estimates.
Prior to release, each person will be evaluated based on their risk to public safety and whether post-release housing is available, the spokeswoman said.
New York remains the center of the nation's coronavirus outbreak and continues to see a soaring number of coronavirus cases, with state officials on Friday reporting more than 44,600 confirmed COVID-19 cases.
The statewide announcement follows rulings from judges in Manhattan and the Bronx on Thursday and Friday, approving the release of 122 inmates—mostly parole violators—after New York's Legal Aid Society filed petitions on their behalf. Advocates say a great deal of work remains as the coronavirus continues to spread in jails and prisons, leaving elderly inmates and those with preexisting conditions at particular risk.
In their petitions, Legal Aid lawyers explained each inmate's risk factors for the virus, in some cases naming jail doctors who had recommended a specific inmate's release.
"Today's ruling is a significant step forward, but we will not quit until all of our clients are safely released from custody back to their homes and their families," said Corey Stoughton, attorney-in-charge of the Legal Aid Criminal Defense Practice's Special Litigation Unit, in a statement Friday.
Advocates have been calling on Gov. Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio to release as many vulnerable inmates as possible for weeks, even before the first cases were confirmed in New York's jails.
Warnings have come from state lawmakers as well. In a letter to the third-term governor earlier this month, State Sen. Luis Sepulveda and Assemblyman David Weprin said the coronavirus poses a great risk to both correctional officers and prisoners.
"It is imperative to release as many people as possible to avoid a public health disaster in our prison system," the letter read.
De Blasio said Thursday that 200 inmates had been released and he expected that at least 175 more would be released soon. The jail population fell below 5,000 inmates this week for the first time since 1949, de Blasio said.
Advocates welcomed news of the release Friday. In a joint statement, the Release Aging People in Prison Campaign and the Parole Preparation Project said Cuomo should grant clemency to thousands of elderly prisoners and inmates with seriously compromised immune systems.
"We call on the governor to use this as the first step towards justice for far more incarcerated New Yorkers who are vulnerable to COVID-19," they said in a statement.
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