California is set to provide early release to nearly 8,000 prisoners by the end of August due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Prisons across the state have been overwhelmed by COVID-19 and need to make room. At San Quentin State Prison alone, more than 200 staff and 1,300 inmates have active cases, according to NBC Bay Area. Systemwide, there are more than 700 cases among staff and close to 2,300 cases among inmates.
Around 108,000 inmates in California will be eligible for a 12-week credit, meaning they will get to leave prison 12 weeks ahead of their original release date. Those ineligible for the credit include those on death row, inmates serving life without the possibility of parole, and those who have committed a major rule violation.
The California Department of Corrections has already reduced the state’s prison population by about 10,000 since March due to the risk of COVID-19.
“These actions are taken to provide for the health and safety of the incarcerated population and staff,” Corrections Secretary Ralph Diaz said in a statement. “We aim to implement these decompression measures in a way that aligns both public health and public safety.”
