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California Governor Gavin Newsom was set to announce the release of thousands of prison inmates in a move prompted by a worsening coronavirus outbreak at San Quentin State Prison and a number of other prison facilities.
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) on Friday said it estimates 8,000 currently incarcerated persons could be eligible for release by end of August under release authority granted to the CDCR Secretary allowing alternative confinement or release in any case in which an emergency endangering the lives of incarcerated persons has occurred or is imminent.
The 8,000 inmates to be released are in addition to the state’s reduction of about 10,000 inmates since the start of the pandemic.
“We’re glad the Governor is taking action to release more people. This is absolutely critical for the health and safety of every Californian,” said Jay Jordan, Executive Director, Californians for Safety and Justice in a prepared statement. “Too many people are incarcerated for too long in facilities that spread poor health. Supporting the health and safety of all Californians means releasing people unnecessarily incarcerated and transforming our justice system”
“These actions are taken to provide for the health and safety of the incarcerated population and staff,” said CDCR Secretary Ralph Diaz in a statement. “We aim to implement these decompression measures in a way that aligns both public health and public safety.”
For all those releasing under these efforts, CDCR is making victim notifications in accordance with all CDCR procedures and state law.
In order to be eligible, inmates must meet the following criteria:
• Have 180 days or less to serve on their sentence
• Are not currently serving time for domestic violence or a violent crime as defined by law
• Have no current or prior sentences that require them to register as a sex offender under Penal Code 290
• Not have an assessment score that indicates a high risk for violence
On Thursday, Diaz issued an open letter to all California prison inmates announcing 12 weeks of credit to all inmates in CDCR custody, except those found guilty of a serious rules violation between March 1 and July 5.
In the letter, Diaz acknowledged “the significant burden you and your families continue to bear as a result of the extraordinary changes we have made to our operations” as a result of the COVID-19 outbreaks. The measures include suspension of visits, reduced phone call opportunities, program suspensions and extremely limited movement.
“To continue to effectively fight this virus, we must create more space in our prisons, both to expand physical distancing to slow COVID-19’s spread and to ease some of the immense challenges staff face every day,” said Diaz. “To do this, CDCR is expediting some releases and exploring other options.”
The prison credits are expected to be applied by August 1 and apply to about 108,000 inmates, making about 3,100 eligible for release as soon as next month. Among them are inmates in state firefighting camps that have seen dwindling numbers as the earlier releases have mounted.
California to Release 18,000 Prisoners by End of August to ‘Slow the Spread of COVID-19’
Riding a wave of public anger over police-involved killings, Mayor Bill de Blasio signed a packaged of legislation Wednesday to overhaul the NYPD. It includes a chokehold ban that critics say will make it more difficult for officers to do their jobs.
For a mayor criticized for not doing enough to stop gun violence, it was a moment of stark symbolism, CBS2’s Marcia Kramer reported. He helped paint a Black Lives Matter mural in the Bronx before signing a package of bills reforming the NYPD.
“This is a powerful day. Powerful day for so many reasons. And it’s a moment when you can feel change coming,” de Blasio said.
The bills required the NYPD to develop standard disciplinary procedures, report the types of surveillance technology it uses, make public disciplinary complaints filed against officers and force cops to display badge numbers and display other identifying information. It also puts into law the right to record interactions with police.
“We fundamentally believe strikes the necessary and delicate balance where we support the work of the NYPD, we work collaboratively with them, but we also stand for reform,” City Councilmember Vanessa Gibson said.
“I believe we can find a way to hear those real concerns, to keep people safe, to retrain our officers the right way,” de Blasio said.