BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — To prevent the spread of coronavirus, Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins announced Thursday that she is working to release low-risk inmates from prison.
The District Attorney's office said it is working to release individuals in custody who are deemed vulnerable due to their age, health, or socio-economic status but "pose no meaningful risk to public safety."
"There will be circumstances where the risk to public safety outweighs any justification for release," the office said. "However, we are committed to working with the criminal defense bar in identifying those individuals whose release we deem urgent and necessary for public health reasons. "
"While Americans across the country are being encouraged to self-isolate, members of our incarcerated population are, by definition, doing the exact opposite with no alternative options. We need to seriously consider pathways to prevent the spread of COVID-19 for our incarcerated populations, the overwhelming majority of which will return to our communities at some point in the future."
So far there have been 51 cases of coronavirus in Suffolk County, and 256 in the state.
WBZ NewsRadio's Nichole Davis spoke with DA Rollins about the decision:
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