LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) – More than 100 inmates awaiting trial are expected to be released from Louisville’s Metro Corrections to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Social distancing is a tall order inside the crowded jail. So local and state leaders decided to work together to do as much as possible to prevent what could be a potential disaster if the novel coronavirus started to spread quickly inside the jail.
Judges are already taking steps to release those accused of non-violent charges upon arraignment. Commonwealth's Attorney Tom Wine said the next step is to release select non-violent inmates currently in jail on their own recognizance.
“We really need to reduce the population at the jail, because they’re crammed in there. We’re already well above the maximum capacity,” said Wine.
The Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, Public Defenders Office, Jefferson County Attorney’s Office, private attorneys, and Metro Corrections leaders are all reviewing lists of potential releases to mutually decide which inmates qualify to be released on non-cash bail or on the Home Incarceration Project.
“I want viewers to be assured that we are worried about public safety,” Wine said. “So we’re not going to put anyone onto the streets that’s a danger to the public.”
Wine said some of the qualifications include: the inmate must not be charged with a Class A or Class B felony, the inmate must be considered a low or moderate risk to re-offend, and the inmate must be classified as a low or moderate risk to not reappear. Crimes like homicide, robberies, kidnappings, driving under the influence, and rape are “off the table,” said Wine. They will be considering non-violent crimes for release like writing bad checks or shoplifting, and they will consider an inmate’s age when making a decision.
Wine said they are taking these measures to protect the inmates and corrections officers in the jail along with the public outside the jail.
“If this spreads in the jail, we’re drawing out of the general population of nurses and doctors to take care of those individuals over at the jail,” said Wine. “So for the pubic there’s an advantage as well. The fewer people who are being treated at the jail, that means more resources for the general public to handle this virus.”
So far, 117 orders have been signed by the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office. However, some of those include multiple charges tied to one person. Wine said it is going to be a constant review process with every department involved, so he expects more orders to be signed.
“It’s not like a target number we’re looking for,” said Ebert Haegele, division chief of the Narcotics Unit for the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office. “It’s about how many people can we give the benefit of this and still keep public safety the priority.”
Each release will also include non-financial conditions, like no contact with witnesses. It is ultimately up to judges to sign off on each release.
“After we do all this and you’re released, and you screw up, and you get arrested on something else, you don’t get another chance,” said Wine. “You’re going to sit there and do your time like everybody else.”
Copyright 2020 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.
