Barnstable County Jail Population Down 17% Since Court Order

BOURNE, MA — The number of inmates at the state's correctional facility in Barnstable County has dropped 17.7 percent to 204 from 168 on April 5, when a sweeping court order allowed the release of nonviolent offenders to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

The Norfolk County House of Corrections in Bourne never had large outbreaks of COVID-19,so it's unclear the Judicial Court's ruling had its intended effect. One corrections officer and a staff member have tested positive for COVID-19. No inmates have tested positive as of May 17. There hasn't been a new case since April 5 when the corrections officer tested positive and staff member tested positive.

Statewide, there have been 153 confirmed cases and inmates, 95 among correctional officers and 37 cases among staff members at the state's county jails since April 5, when a court-appointed overseer started compiling weekly reports on testing and confirmed cases for Department of Corrections facilities.

The ruling said people charged with most crimes should be released without bail "unless an unreasonable danger to the community would result, or the individual presents a very high risk of flight." The ruling lets people currently serving sentences of 60 days or fewer to file motions to have their sentences revised or revoked.

Across Massachusetts, 811 prisoners have been released from county jails under the order, including 20 in Barnstable County. The court order also said most inmates should be released on personal recognizance while awaiting trial, which factors into the 17.7 percent drop at the Barnstable County facility.

The ruling also ordered the Department of Corrections and parole board to speed up the process for paroling prisoners "and to identify other classes of inmates who might be able to be released by agreement of the parties, as well as expediting petitions for compassionate release."

More Coronavirus Coverage On Massachusetts Patch:

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