San Francisco approves release of 26 inmates to minimize Covid-19 risk

FILE-- The San Francisco Sheriff's Office will release 26 inmates after the Superior Court on Friday signed orders to release the inmates in order to reduce the jail's population and minimize the risk of spreading the novel coronavirus, sheriff's officials said Friday. less FILE-- The San Francisco Sheriff's Office will release 26 inmates after the Superior Court on Friday signed orders to release the inmates in order to reduce the jail's population and minimize the risk of ... more Photo: Hans Neleman/Getty Images Photo: Hans Neleman/Getty Images Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close San Francisco approves release of 26 inmates to minimize Covid-19 risk 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

SAN FRANCISCO (BCN)

The San Francisco Sheriff's Office will release 26 inmates after the Superior Court on Friday signed orders to release the inmates in order to reduce the jail's population and minimize the risk of spreading the novel coronavirus, sheriff's officials said Friday.

The Superior Court's order was prompted by the state's public health emergency and all of the inmates have already been sentenced and have less than 60 days left to serve, according to the sheriff's office.

Although there haven't been any confirmed cases of COVID-19 within any of the city's three jails, the inmates' release will help remaining inmates and staff expand social distancing protocols that have already been implemented in the jails, as well as the office's intake and release centers.

Our priority is to ensure that the people who are released and do not have coronavirus remain healthy while sheltering among the broader community. https://t.co/RDlHY49fxs https://t.co/oMuzdAuhNX — SF Sheriff's Office (@SheriffSF) March 21, 2020

To ensure the well being of newly released inmates amid the statewide shelter-in-place order, sheriff's officials said they worked with the courts and community partners to find housing for them. As a result, 13 of the released inmates have been placed in supportive housing and behavioral health programs, while the remaining 13 have identified housing upon reentry.

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Last week, San Francisco Public Defender Mano Raju called on Sheriff Paul Miyamoto to release inmates most at risk of contracting the coronavirus, including those over 60 years old, inmates with heart or lung disease, diabetes and those suffering from cancer, HIV or autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus or multiple sclerosis.

The sheriff's office had said that on top of routine infectious disease screenings and medical interviews that are routinely performed on all new inmates prior to booking, it had implemented several steps to stop the virus' spread in jails.

New measures included working with the Department of Public Health to identify and support vulnerable populations; increased cleaning and sanitizing of jails and workspaces; inmate education on prevention strategies; training bulletins and health and safety reminders for staff; and identifying housing for medical isolation if needed.

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