State authorities have said that California will free about 8,000 inmates early from state prisons to reduce the spread of COVID-19 inside facilities.
Many prisons in California have encountered large coronavirus outbreaks and the department of state corrections said inmates could be eligible for release by August ending.
California Governor Gavin Newsom said recently that nearly 2,400 people in 35 prisons of California have tested positive for COVID-19. That includes 1,314 at San Quentin State Prison north of San Francisco
This release marks California’s biggest move to “decompress” population of prison and lower the risk of COVID-19 transmission by establishing more space for social distancing and quarantines.
In a statement, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Secretary, Ralph Diaz said: “These actions are taken to provide for the health and safety of the incarcerated population and staff.”
The department said prisoners with one year or less left to serve will be eligible for release while prisoners that were convicted of violent felonies and sex crimes would be excluded from early release.
