RivCo Sheriff: Early Inmate Release Amid Coronavirus 'Reckless'

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — There are no plans to allow early release of inmates from Riverside County jails amid coronavirus, but in some cases the sheriff has no choice.

Earlier this month, the California Judicial Council approved setting bail statewide at $0 for misdemeanors and lower-level felonies to “safely reduce jail populations.”

Violent felonies — including murder, rape, sexual assault of children, assault and battery, and criminal threats, among others — are excluded from the emergency $0 bail schedule.

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco has called the move politically motivated and "extremely reckless."

During a video statement released Friday, Bianco said there have been a total of 107 inmates infected with COVID-19 across the county jail system. Fifty-three of those inmates have since recovered and returned to general jail housing, he said.

Seventy-one sheriff's department employees have also tested positive for COVID-19 — the majority of whom work in the corrections division, Bianco said. Nine of the employees have since returned to work, and two have died, according to the sheriff. RELATED: Second Deputy Dies From Coronavirus In Riverside County

"The truth is our jail system is at historically low levels and we have more than enough space to isolate and quarantine infected inmates," Bianco said. "The truth is these inmates receive excellent treatment and have greater access to medical care and more readily than most of you who are not in jail."

The sheriff said all inmates are provided with masks, are advised to practice good personal hygiene, and jails are being cleaned regularly.

In an April 6 news release following the $0 bail ruling, Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye, chair of the judicial council, said, “We are at this point truly with no guidance in history, law, or precedent. And to say that there is no playbook is a gross understatement of the situation."

In addition to the $0 bail policy, 10 other temporary emergency rules were established statewide.

RELATED: Coronavirus Outbreak At Murrieta Jail: Dozens Sickened, 1 Dead

Don't miss updates about the coronavirus in California as they are announced. Sign up for Patch news alerts and newsletters.