Wolf OKs prison release
By KRISTIE LINDEN
klinden@yourmvi.com
Gov. Tom Wolf ordered the Department of Corrections Friday to establish a temporary program that will transfer inmates who qualify to community facilities or home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The program will temporarily “reprieve sentences of incarceration” to help stop the spread of the virus.
“We can reduce our non-violent prison population and leave fewer inmates at risk for contracting COVID-19 while maintaining public safety with this program,” Wolf said. “I am pleased to direct the Department of Corrections to begin the process to release vulnerable and non-violent inmates at or nearing their release dates in an organized way that maintains supervision post-release and ensures home and health care plans are in place for all re-entrants.”
The reprieve program only applies to state prison inmates who have been identified as non-violent and who would be eligible for release within the next nine months or who are considered at high risk for complications of coronavirus and are within 12 months of their release.
“Just as everyone in the community is dealing with COVID-19, the state prison system is doing the same,” Corrections Sec. John Wetzel said. “We must reduce our inmate population to be able to manage this virus. Without this temporary program, we are risking the health, and potentially lives, of employees and inmates. We can safely release individuals to the community to reduce their vulnerability and allow the department to successfully manage COVID-19.
“Without any current legislation, we are moving forward with the understanding that future legislation could further advance these efforts.”
As of Friday morning, there were 11 COVID-19 cases at SCI Phoenix in Montgomery County, but concern for cases spreading to other facilities is another reason for the expedited release of eligible inmates.
Under the temporary reprieve program, 1,500 to 1,800 inmates would be eligible, although given the reentry challenges of ensuring connection to the health care and behavioral health system, housing and food security, the number will likely be less than the eligible pool.
Vulnerable inmates will include inmates ages 65 or older, anyone with an autoimmune disorder, pregnant inmates, anyone with a serious, chronic medical condition such as heart disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, bone marrow or organ transplantation, severe obesity, kidney disease, liver disease and cancer or another medical condition that places them at higher risk for complications of coronavirus as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The releases could begin as early as Tuesday.
Wetzel said a thorough reentry component was developed to ensure inmates will be successful.
“While we need to release inmates to protect them and to allow us space to mitigate the impact of the virus in our system, we also know that we need to prepare inmates for release,” Wetzel said.
“Our re-entry plans will include several days of release planning with the inmate, preparing and connecting the inmate to treatment programs in the community, release transportation and a complete medical screening to ensure that we are not releasing sick inmates. We’ll also provide them with an appropriate medication supply and connect them to medical providers in the community.”
While on temporary reprieve, individuals will be monitored similarly to parolees and will be supervised by parole agents.
Upon expiration of the order, inmates would be returned to prison to complete any remaining portion of their sentences.
