New Jersey will release up to 1,000 inmates from jails this week as part of an effort to curb the outbreak of coronavirus, which continues to spread rapidly throughout the state.
New Jersey Chief Justice Stuart Rabner on Sunday signed the order to release the inmates temporarily, citing the “profound risk posed to people in correctional facilities arising from the spread of COVID-19.”
By 6 a.m. Tuesday, inmates who are serving jail sentences as a condition of probation or are serving time after a municipal court conviction will be released. On Thursday, inmates incarcerated for probation violations and low-level crimes such as disorderly conduct offenses will be released.
After the coronavirus health emergency is over, judges will conclude whether the sentences of the inmates should be commuted. The order affects all inmates of county jails across the state, but prosecutors may challenge the release of an inmate if they believe a release would pose a risk to the individual themselves or to the public safety.
The American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey, which called for the action along with the Public Defender’s Office, praised the move in a statement, calling it a “landmark agreement” that embodies the principles of “compassion” and “looking out for all people’s well-being.”
“Unprecedented times call for rethinking the normal way of doing things, and in this case it means releasing people who pose little risk to their communities for the sake of public health and the dignity of people who are incarcerated,” ACLU New Jersey Executive Director Amol Singha said in a statement.
“It is inevitable that the virus will spread into the county jails and, when that happens, the health and well-being of inmates and jail staff members will be at tremendous risk,” Public Defender Joseph Krakora wrote in a Thursday letter to the chief justice. “It is therefore incumbent upon the criminal justice system to reduce our county jail populations to the extent possible without compromising public safety.”