About 56 correctional officers and sergeants in the New York state prisons have tested positive for COVID-19. Photo: Julie Jacobson/AP

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he is considering granting clemency or releasing state prisoners who are nearing the end of their sentence as a measure to stem the spread of COVID-19.

"We're looking at exactly that now," Cuomo said in Albany on Saturday. He did not give a timeline for a decision.

The Legal Aid Society and the Prisoners' Legal Services of New York have called on the state's prison agency to urge Cuomo to grant clemency to vulnerable inmates, including those who are older or have chronic medical conditions.

Those advocates have continually urged the third-term governor and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio to release inmates who are more vulnerable to the virus.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported that persons over 65 and those with underlying medical conditions are be at a greater risk to experience severe illness due to the coronavirus.

Meanwhile, there were signs Monday the coronavirus has made further encroachment into the state prison system.

About 56 correctional officers and sergeants have tested positive for COVID-19, one of which is hospitalized and requires a ventilator, according to the union representing state correctional officers. Hundreds of prison system employees are under some form of quarantine, the union reported.

Michael Powers, president of the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association, said he is infected with the coronavirus and warned the total number of positive COVID-19 cases is expected to increase.

"The numbers underscore the fact that our state facilities are on the cusp of a wide outbreak," he said in a statement. "This concern must be taken seriously, and certain measures must be put in place immediately to protect staff."

Cuomo's comments came a day after New York's prison agency announced as many as 1,100 people jailed on parole violations throughout the state would be released. 

The includes about 400 inmates in New York City and about 700 from the rest of the state, according to initial estimates from the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.

State lawmakers have warned that jails are a dangerous incubator for the virus, in part due to close living quarters and restricted access to soap and hand-washing facilities.

Several legislators have also been infected with COVID-19. On Monday, Republican state Sen. James Seward, R-Otsego, reported he and his wife have tested positive for the coronavirus. His office issued a statement Monday saying Seward continues to receive treatment at the Albany Medical Center, but he will be released shortly and is expected to make a full recovery.

State Sen. John Flanagan, R-Suffolk, minority leader in the chamber, said Seward is battling cancer and asked state residents to stay inside and practice social distancing.

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