California will release up to 8,000 prisoners this summer in an effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The news comes after more than a third of the inmates and staff at the San Quentin prison tested positive.
A corrections officer stands guard in late June at San Quentin State Prison. More than a third of the inmates and staff at the prison in the San Francisco Bay Area have tested positive for the coronavirus.David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images
News of the plan comes after more than a third of the inmates and staff at the San Quentin State Prison in the San Francisco Bay AreaAnyone who is eligible for release will be tested for the coronavirus within seven days of their return to society, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said.5,841 coronavirus cases among inmates — a rise of more than 860 cases in two weeks. Another 1,222 employees have also been infected.
More than half of the prisoners could be released this month. The corrections department says it's reviewing the roster of prisoners who have fewer than 180 days left on their sentences; it anticipates roughly 4,800 people could be eligible for release by the end of July.
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