More NJ Prisoners To Be Released Amid Coronavirus: Gov. Murphy

NEWARK, NJ — New Jersey’s courts have already ordered the release of up to 1,000 prison inmates in county jails as a way to battle the spread of the new coronavirus. On Friday, Gov. Phil Murphy paved the way for many more in state custody to join them at home.

According to Murphy, he’s planning to sign an executive order to allow some “low-risk” inmates to be placed in temporary home confinement during the COVID-19 crisis.

Inmates whose sentences are about to expire in the next three months, or who have been denied parole within the last year may also be eligible for release, Murphy said.

To be eligible, prison inmates must face an increased risk of contracting COVID-19 because of their age or health status. Nobody convicted of a serious crime – such as murder, or sexual assault – will be considered, Murphy said.

Released inmates will continue to be subject to Department of Corrections supervision.

“We’re setting up a robust process through which each potentially eligible individual must be determined to be safe to place on home confinement,” Murphy tweeted. “Each will be required to have an individualized release plan to ensure they will have access to all necessary services.”

“Social distancing is extremely hard to accomplish in a prison setting,” Murphy continued. “Allowing some of our most vulnerable individuals who do not pose a public safety threat to temporarily leave prison will protect both their health and the health of those working in our correctional facilities.”

• See related article: Stuck In Jail During A Pandemic; Coronavirus Hits NJ Prisons
• See related article: Inmates Are ‘Sheep For Slaughter,' NJ Prisoner's Wife Says

Murphy’s announcement coincided with the release of the state’s latest coronavirus-related deaths, which have reached 1,932 as of Friday morning. New Jersey has a total of 54,588 COVID-19 cases, officials said.

• See related article: NJ Coronavirus Deaths Near 2,000, Easter Warning Issued

As of Thursday evening, there have been 17 confirmed cases of COVID-19 among state prison inmates in New Jersey, according to the Department of Corrections (DOC). There have been 129 confirmed cases of the virus among state prison employees.

HOPE IN A DARK TIME

For the family members of some inmates, such as Jessica Ambrose of Piscataway, Murphy’s announcement offered a ray of hope in a dark time.

Ambrose told Patch that her husband is currently incarcerated at the New Jersey State Prison in Trenton. He’s got seven months left on his four-year sentence, but should be eligible for release because he’s been denied parole within the last year.

“Health-wise, he’s extremely high-risk,” Ambrose said. “He’s on chronic care for hepatitis, diabetes and high blood pressure.”

According to what Ambrose has heard from her husband, the situation inside the prison is grim.

“Every day, he’s hearing from the guards that more and more of them have tested positive,” Ambrose said. “It has gotten to the point that none of the regular guards for his unit are working anymore, and instead, it’s filled with different substitute guards every day.”

An inmate suspected of having the virus had a plastic sheet taped to the outside of his door, she claimed. Other inmates aren’t being allowed to wear masks and aren’t getting sanitizing products, she said.

Ambrose also said she believes the DOC’s coronavirus statistics on its website are “grossly underestimated.”

“Whether or not my husband specifically gets released early or not, I think it’s important that people are talking about the situation inside the prisons and the truth about how it’s being handled gets out to the public,” Ambrose emphasized.

The ACLU of New Jersey applauded Murphy’s announcement, but added that it won’t affect the “vast majority” of prisoners in state custody.

Still, it’s a step in the right direction, the group said.

“The action that Governor Murphy takes today, initiating the release of certain people from state prisons to stem the virulent COVID-19 pandemic, if done right, will save lives,” ACLU-NJ Executive Director Amol Sinha said.

“We sincerely hope the details and implementation of this executive order match its potential for good,” Sinha added.

WHAT ABOUT HALFWAY HOUSES?

As prison inmates across New Jersey are being released in the name of public safety, a Paterson woman has been offering another plea: don’t forget the thousands of people living in the state’s halfway houses.

Last month, Evelin White, 31, reached out to Patch with a message of concern for her husband, who is currently living at Tully House, a residential reentry facility on Peerless Place in Newark.

White said that her husband – a "hardworking family man who loves his children" – is serving time at the facility until at least July due to a parole violation.

"He's kind, compassionate, honest and wants nothing more than to be home with his loved ones," White said.

But according to White, the facility isn't taking proper precautions when it comes to protecting residents from COVID-19. The alleged issues include forcing them to attend programs with dozens of other residents packed into one room, with "half of them coughing."

• See related article: Wife Fears For Husband In Newark Halfway House Amid Coronavirus

Since she first reached out to Patch in March, White said the situation has only gotten worse at Tully House, which is overseen by the DOC and managed by a pair of private corporations: Education & Health Centers of America Inc. and the GEO Group.

Although DOC officials say there have been no confirmed cases of COVID-19 among inmates at Tully House as of Thursday – and only three at any of its facilities throughout the state – White insisted the crisis is worse than they’re letting on.

According to her husband – who White declined to name out of fear of reprisal – a coughing, feverish resident of Tully House was taken out of the building to an “undisclosed location” late Saturday evening when he couldn’t breathe or walk.

“My husband said they didn’t sanitize the room he was in or anything he touched,” White told Patch.

“I honestly don't understand how those inmates that have successfully completed their term of incarceration and worked hard to be able to go to a halfway house can't be released into the homes of their loved ones, but yet people who were in county jails were released?” White questioned.

“It's not fair,” she said.

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com

Don’t forget to visit the Patch Newark Facebook page. Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site. Sign up for Patch email newsletters.