CHARLOTTE, N.C. — In an effort to reduce the prison population and stop the spread of the coronavirus, some prisoners in North Carolina are now being released into the community to serve out their sentence under supervision.
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper says it is unprecedented action and moves they don't take lightly. But people are dying in crowded prisons. Public safety experts are taking a hard look at who really needs to be locked up right now.
For select inmates in prisons across North Carolina, lockup as they know it, is over in an effort to be able to reduce the prison population.
So far more than 35 offenders in six separate facilities across the state have tested positive for COVID-19. So have 20 staff members at 10 facilities.
Monday the Director of Public Safety for North Carolina announced they are taking drastic steps to reduce the number of people in close contact in North Carolina's prisons.
“We will not release anyone unless the risk assessment defined for us that we can do so as safely as possible,” said Erik Hooks, Director of Public Safety for North Carolina.
Approximately 500 inmates are up for consideration to get out of prison. Many of them are pregnant or elderly, or fall into other high risk categories. And most importantly, none of them were convicted of a violent crime.
The safety director says this isn't a get out of jail free card.
“They're not being released,” Hooks explained. “They're extending the terms of confinement, so they are still on our custody. They just won't be living in our facilities.”
Instead of living in a facility, the offenders will still be monitored closely at home.
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