Early release coming for 3,500 NC prisoners
The ACLU says this will be one of the largest early release agreements nationwide during the coronavirus pandemic.
Posted — UpdatedThis is in addition to regular releases as people finish their sentences, and the state said it would hit the target through a combination of sentence credits to lower minimum sentences and early releases for non-violent offenders through programs that amount to supervised parole.
That includes the "Extended Limits of Confinement" program, which was implemented months into the pandemic. To date, about 1,000 inmates have taken advantage, leaving prison facilities early.
The American Civil Liberties Union, which brought the case along with the North Carolina NAACP and other partners, called the releases "unprecedented" and one of the largest releases in the country achieved via COVID-19 litigation efforts.
Rev. T. Anthony Spearman, president of the state NAACP, called it a historic settlement and "a step forward after nearly a year of advocating for the human lives of our neighbors who, in too many cases, have been treated as disposable."
In addition to the early releases, the settlement requires the state to keep or add various pandemic protocols:
- Biweekly testing of all prison staff who come near incarcerated people
- Routine sample testing for inmates
- Testing of anyone who shows COVID-19 symptoms, followed by contact tracing and testing of people who came in close contact with those who tested positive
- A new anonymous tip system for inmates, dedicated to COVID-19 prevention measures
- Incentive packages for inmates who take the vaccine
- Continued isolation of confirmed COVID-19 cases
- Adequate masks and other protective equipment for inmates and others
- Prison transfer protocols that require quarantines in most cases so the virus isn't transmitted prison to prison
The reduction of 3,500 inmates would be about a 12 percent drop in the prison's current population, which is about 28,700 people. That itself is a low mark for North Carolina prison population since 1994.
Related Topics
• Credits
Copyright 2024 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.