On April 6, 2020, officials from the Connecticut Department of Corrections announced that 727 people had been released from state prisons since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic in early March, the most substantial one-month reduction of the prison population in the state’s history.
Ballotpedia is tracking prison inmate release responses by state and local governments due to coronavirus.
Other recent updates include:
- Ohio – Gov. Mike DeWine announced on April 3 that his administration is recommending the release of 38 inmates who have not been convicted of violent offenses due to coronavirus.
- Rhode Island – The Rhode Island Supreme Court ordered an expedited hearing for 52 inmates in an effort to reduce the state prison population.
- Massachusetts – The Massachusetts Supreme Court ordered the release of most people being held in jail pretrial due to coronavirus. The order also prohibited the release of certain inmate populations, including those charged with violent, sex, or drug trafficking crimes
- Pennsylvania – The Pennsylvania Supreme Court declined to order inmate releases on the state-level. It directed presiding judges in each judicial district to coordinate with county correctional institutions to ensure they are addressing concerns due to coronavirus.
