Ramping up fight against COVID-19, NC begins releasing some inmates early

North Carolina prison officials announced Monday that they have begun releasing some inmates early — an “extraordinary measure” designed to reduce the prison population and stem the spread of COVID-19.

Under state law, the state Department of Public Safety has the authority to let certain inmates serve their sentences outside of a prison, provided they are supervised by community corrections officers.

DPS said that none of the offenders being considered under that program have been convicted of a violent crime, and that all are scheduled to be released this year. Among the roughly 500 inmates who DPS said it is considering for early release:

▪ Pregnant inmates.

▪ Offenders age 65 and older with underlying health conditions

▪ Female inmates age 50 and older with health conditions and a release date in 2020

▪ Offenders age 65 and older with a release date in 2020

▪ Offenders already on home leave with a release date in 2020

▪ Offenders on work release with a release date in 2020

On Thursday, six inmates were released from prison to complete their sentences in the community, DPS said. All are women who are either pregnant or are 65 or older.

Those who are let out of prison early under this program will continue to be supervised, often with electronic monitoring equipment, state officials said.

“If they fail to carry out the program successfully, they will be returned to the facilities,” DPS Secretary Erik Hooks said at a news conference Monday afternoon.

In a separate effort to reduce the prison population, DPS has been awarding time credits so that some inmates can be released ahead of schedule. In March, more than 300 offenders originally scheduled for release in April, May or June, were released under that program. Those offenders completed their minimum sentences and are now under post-release supervision.

Since January of this year, more than 6,900 state inmates have been released from prison — an increase of 10% over the same period in 2019, DPS said. The state’s prisons now house about 35,000 inmates.

The North Carolina Post-Release Supervision and Parole Commission is also reviewing offenders under its authority for possible release. Over the past week, the commission has released more than a dozen pregnant women to community supervision, DPS said.

“We do not take these new measures lightly,” said Tim Moose, Chief Deputy Secretary of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice. “Our staff are working in accordance with CDC guidelines, while being mindful of adult risk management, as well as reentry best practices in order to identify and transition adult offenders into our communities in a safe and efficient manner.”

Statewide, 37 inmates have now tested positive for COVID-19 — up from 20 on Thursday, N.C. prison officials said Monday. Nineteen of those inmates were housed at Neuse Correctional Institution, in Eastern North Carolina.

Last week, a coalition of civil rights groups filed a lawsuit asking the state Supreme Court to immediately release vulnerable inmates. The suit, filed by the ACLU of North Carolina, Disability Rights North Carolina and others, argues that Gov. Roy Cooper and the state Department of Public Safety have a legal duty to take action before a large-scale outbreak results in deaths inside the prisons and in surrounding communities.

In Durham County, officials announced last week that nine men convicted of drug trafficking and other charges will leave prison early after the county district attorney and a judge agreed to reduce their sentences because of coronavirus concerns.

But Elizabeth Forbes, who heads the inmate advocacy group North Carolina Cure, said there are risks associated with early releases, too. She said she’s worried that some inmates will be released into homes where others are infected.

“You would hope they’d test the environment they were going into,” she said. “Why would they let them out of prison early if the environment was just as dangerous?”

Mecklenburg County commissioner Pat Cotham said she’s worried that the prisons may put some inmates at a disadvantage by releasing them early, without the preparation and resources they need to reenter the outside world. She noted that the state prison work release program has been suspended, so many inmates won’t have enough money for housing and living expenses when they are released.

“I’m afraid they’re just going to put them on buses with $50 and drop them off,” Cotham said.

Staff Writer Gavin Off contributed.

This story was originally published April 13, 2020 at 4:29 PM with the headline "Ramping up fight against COVID-19, NC begins releasing some inmates early."