Skip to main content

Coronavirus outbreak could lead to the release of thousands of inmates

Image
By

Two groups are calling for the release of non-violent inmates out of a concern for the spread of the coronavirus and are now taking that fight to the state’s highest court.

The Committee for Public Counsel Services and the Massachusetts Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers filed an emergency petition claiming that “correctional facilities where physical distancing and vigilant hygiene are impossible can be Petri dishes for the rapid spread of infectious disease.”

“Before COVID, we were overcrowded and so you have … the picture to convey is people bundled together in very tiny cells, people eating elbow to elbow,” Chauncey Wood of the MACDL Board of Directors said.

They are focusing their efforts on two groups of people who are “pre-trial” or those who were given a cash bail of $5,000 or less who could not afford to make that bail nad people who have six months or less remaining on their sentence.

“Those people are on the verge of getting out anyway and we’re saying, ‘let’s not convert this long sentence into a death sentence,” Wood explained. “So, if you have a cash bail which you haven’t posted, the only reason you’re being held is because you’re too poor to post the bail.

According to the Massachusetts Department of Correction, 17 inmates have tested positive for the coronavirus at the Massachusetts Treatment Center in Bridgewater — five Department of Correction staff members and one medical provider.

Some district attornies like Hampden County’s Anthony Gulluni will be on the other side of the controversial issue and said the victims in these cases need to be taken into account.

“It’s just a really really reckless and ill-conceived policy that I think endangers the public, endangers victims of crime who have statutory rights and it really endangers many of the inmates,” he said

The sheriffs in all 14 counties of Mass. filed a response to the emergency asking the court to deny it.

“It is sadly opportunistic on the part of the petitioners at a time of, really, global struggles here in the Commonwealth where we are really fighting this battle with COVID-19,” Gulluni said. “There are ways to contemplate the health and wellness of those incarcerated.

The sheriffs have said they have taken steps to ensure the safety of those incarcerated.

The hearing will take place Tuesday via a video conference call.

from Boston News, Weather, Sports | WHDH 7News
Source: https://ift.tt/2xALwkN
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Virginia family gets keys to Habitat for Humanity’s first 3D-printed home in the US

By
(CNN) — One Virginia family received the keys to their new  3D-printed home  in time for Christmas. The home is Habitat for Humanity’s first 3D-printed home in the nation,  according to a Habitat news release. Janet V. Green, CEO of Habitat for Humanity Peninsula and Greater Williamsburg, told CNN it partnered with Alquist, a 3D printing company, earlier this year to begin the process. The 1,200-square-foot home has three bedrooms, two full baths and was built from concrete. The technology allowed the home to be built in just 12 hours, which saves about four weeks of construction time for a typical home. April Stringfield purchased the home through the  Habitat Homebuyer Program . She will move in with her 13-year-old son just in time for the holidays. “My son and I are so thankful,” Stringfield said in a  live feed streamed on Habitat’s Facebook  page. “I always wanted to be a homeowner. It’s like a dream come true.” To purchase the home, Stringfield logged hundreds of hours of
Post a Comment
Recent News

Lawsuit: High school football player says coaches forced him to eat pizza as punishment, violating religious beliefs

By
CANTON, Ohio (AP) — An Ohio high school football player who says coaches forced him to eat a pizza covered with pepperoni grease in violation of his religious beliefs is suing his former district and the ousted coaches. The former Canton McKinley High School athlete and his parents filed a federal civil rights suit this week seeking millions of dollars in damages and alleging violations of his religious freedom and constitutional rights. The athlete says in the lawsuit that coaches were notified he doesn’t eat pork or pork residue as a member of the Hebrew Israelite religious faith, but that they ordered him to eat the pizza as punishment for missing an offseason workout — and indicated his spot on the team was at risk if he didn’t. The coaches say the player chose to remove pepperoni and eat the pizza rather than an alternative food. They weren’t aware it violated his religious beliefs, according to a  defamation case they filed  previously against the teen’s father, his attorney a
Post a Comment
Recent News

Bergeron, Pastrnak and Bruins finish off Capitals in 5 games

By
WASHINGTON (AP) — Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak dazzled on offense, Tuukka Rask was rock solid in net and the Boston Bruins are moving on to the second round of the playoffs. Bergeron scored twice at crucial times after Pastrnak’s  highlight-reel  goal, Rask made 40 saves and the Bruins eliminated the Washington Capitals in five games with a 3-1 victory Sunday night. Bergeron delivered the dagger with 7:35 left to set up a second-round showdown against either the Pittsburgh Penguins or New York Islanders. Chants of “TUUKK!” emanated from a large group of black and gold-clad Boston fans who were part of the limited-capacity sellout crowd of 5,333. Those were occasionally interrupted by “We want the Cup!” — the trophy the Bruins last won a decade ago after a 39-year title drought. They’re 12 wins away, thanks to their best players dominating in Game 5. Pastrnak made it look easy putting the puck behind his back and through his legs, assisted on Bergeron’s first goal and was par
Post a Comment
Recent News