Dozens of inmates released from Centre County jail in the past month to contain COVID-19 spread
In effort to contain the new coronavirus, 43 inmates were released in the past month from the Centre County Correctional Facility, a Centre County commissioner said Wednesday.
The jail is working with county officials to identify vulnerable inmates — those with an autoimmune disorder or a serious, chronic medical disorder — who, if released early, do not pose a public safety risk, Board of Commissioners Chairman Mike Pipe said.
There are 195 inmates detained at the jail, which has the capacity to detain 397 inmates, as of Wednesday, according to Pipe.
“Social distancing is difficult to accomplish within the walls of the correctional facility. A correctional facility is a congregate environment, which heightens the potential for COVID-19 to spread once introduced,” Pipe said. “It is our obligation to safeguard the lives of our returning citizens.”
More inmates may be released. The county is continually working on its “vulnerability list,” Pipe said, and assessing cases against those are charged with nonviolent crimes. Terms for release, which depend on what an inmate was charged with, vary for each inmate. Some inmates are not eligible to be released.
No court orders as of Wednesday have required an inmate to return to the jail after the pandemic. Anyone who violates the terms of their probation will be returned to the jail, Pipe said.
No inmates or jail employees have tested positive for COVID-19, according to Pipe
The releases are one of several precautionary measures the jail implemented since March. All visits and programs within the facility were canceled March 16 through at least Monday.
Gov. Tom Wolf on Friday authorized the early release of as many as 1,800 state prison inmates as part of the state’s mitigation efforts.
Eight state inmates were released Wednesday. None were detained at Rockview or Benner state prison, and none were convicted in Centre County.