California will release 17 thousand criminals ahead of schedule

California authorities are forced to release prisoners serving sentences for minor crimes, writes "Voice of America".

Photo: Shutterstock

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti says he's prepared for the city to shut down again. One of the problems in California right now is the outbreak of COVID-19 in prisons. The authorities are forced to take unprecedented measures - to release from prison prisoners serving sentences for minor crimes.

Those serving sentences for non-violent crimes and those who have 180 days or less left behind bars will soon be released. Early release will primarily be given to people over 30 years of age who have health problems—there are now about 17 of them in California prisons. Almost 000 more people serving their sentences are infected with the coronavirus. More than half of them are in San Quentin prison in northern California. It is known that 3000 have already died due to COVID-10 and more than 19 are in serious condition.

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Former convicts tell what is happening on the other side of the barbed wire today.

“We are now scared, dangerous, uncomfortable and unpredictable,” one said.

The relatives of those who are now behind bars are picketing near the prison.

“They die there. Release my child,” the mother of one of the prisoners asks in tears.

The situation at San Quentin prison did not come as a surprise for many reasons, human rights activists say.

“It's a pretty old prison,” said Vanessa Nelson-Sloan, director of the prisoner rehabilitation organization Life Support Alliance. — The air ventilation system in it is one-piece, covering the entire building. Therefore, the outbreak of the virus there is not a surprise to us. And in general, prison is not a place where you can maintain social distancing, which is so necessary during a pandemic.”

Vanessa Nelson runs an organization that helps prisoners. On the other side of the bars, she says, the situation is dire.

“I believe that every person who works in a prison is required to wear a mask,” says Vanessa. — Prisoners wear masks and are punished if they do not wear them. Compliance with these measures is task number one.”

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The news that the state authorities are releasing thousands of prisoners ahead of schedule was received by this organization with joy, and at the same time with alarm.

Some of those who will be released, Vanessa says, have nowhere to go. Homeless shelters in California are overcrowded, which means that the threat of coronavirus infection for them will remain even at large.

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