PA To Release Around 1,500 Non-Violent Inmates From State Prison

PENNSYLVANIA — In an effort to limit the spread of coronavirus, Pennsylvania has announced plans to release some non-violent offenders who meet certain qualifications from state prisons.

Called the Temporary Program to Reprieve Sentences of Incarceration, the release will only apply to inmates who would otherwise be eligible for release within the next nine months. An estimated 1,500 to 1,800 inmates will be released.

Stay up to date on coronavirus developments, sign up for Patch news alerts.

Officials believe it will save lives.

“Just as everyone in the community is dealing with COVID-19, the state prison system is doing the same,” Corrections Sec. John Wetzel said in a statement. “We must reduce our inmate population to be able to manage this virus. Without this temporary program, we are risking the health, and potentially lives, of employees and inmates."

Non-violent inmates who are eligible for release within the next year, and who have been identified as being particularly vulnerable to coronavirus, will also be released.

Once the temporary order has expired, inmates will return to prison to complete any remaining term on their sentence.

For more than a month now activists in Pennsylvania and around the country have been pushing for the release of prisoners, as correctional facilities, with their high populations and tightly enclosed quarters, could see the virus spread rapidly.

The entire state prison system went under quarantine back on March 30 after the first cases of coronavirus were found at SCI Phoenix. Since then, the total number of cases has risen to 11 at SCI Phoenix, but no other facilities have reported positives.

The releases could begin as early as Tuesday, April 14. Inmates will undergo several days of "release planning," including connecting the inmate to treatment programs, providing a full medical screening and testing, and connecting them with medical providers in the community.

Released individuals will be monitored similar to the way parolees are monitored, officials said.

>>>Full coverage of coronavirus in Pennsylvania