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true true

ACLU Wants Some Inmates Released Amid COVID-19 Risks

By Brandon Smith

Posted March 30, 2020

Jail cell

The ACLU of Indiana wants the state to release some jail and prison inmates at risk from COVID-19. (WFIU/WTIU News)

The ACLU of Indiana wants the state to release some jail and prison inmates at risk from COVID-19.

The Holcomb administration didn’t indicate it would do so.

The ACLU’s petition to the Indiana Supreme Court says prisons and jails are particularly vulnerable to virus outbreaks. And it’s urging the state to – at least temporarily – release jail and prison inmates who are in high-risk categories for death from COVID-19.

The ACLU’s recommendation suggests that could apply to people awaiting trial who don’t pose a risk to the community and offenders whose sentences could be reduced or suspended.

READ MORE: Indiana Offenders Produce Protective Equipment For First Responders

“The problem, of course, in jails and prisons is that it's impossible to do social distancing,” says Ken Falk, the ACLU of Indiana’s legal director. “They are populations that are prone to a very rapid spread of the disease.”

Falk says that in addition to prisoners, people who work in jails and prisons are also at risk of catching and spreading the coronavirus.

Department of Correction Chief Medical Officer Dr. Kristen Dauss would only say the agency is taking all precautions.

“Our team will continue to look at what we’re doing and respond as appropriate,” Dauss says.

The state health department is visiting jails and prisons to monitor potential outbreaks.

In Monroe County, an official at the local sheriff’s office says this month’s average population is 185 — down from 249 in February. 

The official, Sam Crowe, says the sheriff's department doesn't have the authority to release inmates from the county jail. 

Those orders come from judge Mary Ellen Diekhoff. Crowe says Diekhoff is doing everything she can to reduce the jail population.  

According to Crowe, there are only four people currently serving time for crimes in the county jail. Typical numbers are 20 to 25. 

The other 181 are either awaiting trial or have been picked up for probation violations.

George Hale and Cathy Knapp contributed to this report. 

Contact Brandon at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.

This is a rapidly evolving story, and we are working hard to bring you the most up-to-date information. However, we recommend checking the websites of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the Indiana State Department of Health for the most recent numbers of COVID-19 cases.

Read Next

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