As many as 8,000 California inmates could be eligible for early release by the end of August under a plan to slow the spread of the coronavirus in the state's prison system, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation says.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has been reported to be facing pressure to release inmates amid the pandemic. On Thursday, the governor said that"the biggest concern" was San Quentin. San Quentin has had seven deaths linked to COVID-19.Justin Sullivan / Getty Images
Newsom has called a decision to move inmates from a Chino prison amid the outbreak to San Quentin frustrating. On Thursday, he said,"that decision created the chain of events that we are now addressing and dealing with" but added it was the responsibility of all to address it."This is serious stuff and requires a seriousness of purpose," he said.
The American Civil Liberties Union of California Center for Advocacy and Policy welcomed the news Friday and said Newsom"is taking action to lower the population of our prisons and save lives.
People are being screened, but around 4,800 people with less than 180 days left on their sentence could be eligible for early release by the end of this month, according to the department. It will also offer a 12-week"positive programming credit" to eligible inmates, and the department estimates that around 2,100 inmates would likely advance to the point where they can be eligible for release between July and September.
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