Coronavirus: Counties in LA, Ohio and Illinois release 'non-violent' inmates to prevent spread in prison
Hundreds of accused criminals that have been considered "non-violent" have been released in various cities across the US as a necessary move toward preventing the spread of coronavirus.
California's Sheriff Alex Villanueva affirmed that more than 600 prison inmates regarded as "non-violent" offenders who are susceptible to contracting the infection have been released in Los Angeles County.
According to LA Times, officers should be releasing individuals that have committed non-violence rather than booking them into prison, said Villanueva.
Los Angeles County has reduced daily arrests from 300 to 60, amid coronavirus concerns and officers have been advised to release all accused criminals who have a bail of less than $50,000. There are no confirmed coronavirus cases in the county jail.
The sheriff's department in Cook County, Illinois, is releasing inmates who are deemed "highly vulnerable" to contracting the coronavirus although a specific number hasn't been revealed.
Those been released are considered "non-violent", and the sheriff's department is requesting the Cook County Public Defender, the Office of Chief Judge and the Cook County State's Attorney to follow through making sure inmates and accused criminals are released. There are no confirmed coronavirus cases in the county jail.
Cuyahoga County in Ohio is also releasing hundred of prison inmates due to the fear of coronavirus spreading among prisoners. County Judges have taken measures to speed up the court process for accused criminals who plead guilty, so they can either be released on put under house arrest.
Judges on March 14 held a special morning session in court to settle cases with guilty pleas, release inmates, incarcerate the guilty or release them on house arrest.
The American Civil Liberties Union, funded by George Soros, praised the Cuyahoga County's move to release inmates at this crucial time and urged other counties to follow suit.
"Mass incarceration is a clear public health risk," ACLU officials wrote in an online statement. "We encourage other states to follow Ohio's leadership." There are no confirmed coronavirus cases in the county jail.
The US has announced a state of emergency and banned all public gatherings of 50 people or more and imposed a travel ban to control the spread of the deadly virus. As of March 17, there are 6,518 confirmed cases in the US with 108 fatalities. The global tally of confirmed cases is 198,302 with 7,956 deaths.