8 sex offenders including three child rapists released from New York jail due to coronavirus outbreak
GREECE, NEW YORK: Around 50 inmates which include eight registered sex offenders have been released from the Monroe County Jail. This was done as part of a statewide order from The Department of Corrections and Community Services (DOCCS). According to the Monroe County Sheriff's Office, more than 50 inmates were released on Saturday, March 28.
Currently, the inmates are staying at the Holiday Inn Express in Greece town in Monroe County. Out of the prisoners staying at the Holiday Inn, four are registered sex offenders, three of whom are level 3 sex offenders. They have been deemed by NY courts as those most likely to re-offend.
All three of the level 3 sex offenders have been convicted for the rape of minors. Patrick Phelan who is the Greece Chief of Police said, "It doesn’t make any sense. If you could present an argument to me that makes sense, I’m willing to listen. But this doesn’t make any sense."
The prisoners were taken to the Holiday Inn Express after the DOCCS was ordered to release low-level technical parole violators due to the coronavirus outbreak. Phelan added, "So you have a violent criminal who’s done time in state prison who’s been given the chance of parole, and not followed the conditions of their parole. That’s who you’re talking about right now."
Phelan is skeptical of the DOCCS decision to release inmates and shared that he would have liked to have been notified given the big threat that these inmates pose to the community. "We weren’t told by anyone," Phelan revealed.
"I think good practice would be if you’re going to release convicted felons. Some of them very violent some of those level 3 sex offenders, You might want to give law enforcement the heads up," he added.
DOCCS shared in a statement that they had made decisions on who to release based on a "review of the underlying technical violation, not the original crime". In their statement, they read, "This significant action is being taken in response to a growing number of COVID-19 cases in local jails over the past few days and weeks."
"Our top priority remains the public health and safety of New Yorkers during this global public health emergency and this measure will further protect a vulnerable population from contracting and transmitting this infectious disease," the statement continued, News 8 shared, WIVB reports.
On Monday, March 30, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said that the city needs to source 3.3 million N95 masks, 2.1 million surgical masks, 100,000 isolation gowns, and 400 ventilators to equip the hospitals with growing coronavirus cases.
While speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, April 1, De Blasio shared, "Supplies continue to come in at a very rapid rate and they go out right away to hospitals all over the city and to first responders. The speed has become remarkable."
"We’re going to need the masks, the N95s, gowns. Every single week we are going to need more of that," he shared. As of April 1, there have been 83,712 confirmed cases of coronavirus. At least 1,941 people with coronavirus have died.