Gary Ridgway terrorized south King County in the 1980s, as he murdered up to 80 young vulnerable women and dumped their bodies in remote, wooded areas

Inmates filed a lawsuit claiming that Governor Jay Inslee and the Department of Corrections were not providing safe conditions amid the pandemic

Chief Justice Debra Stephens said the motion was denied because inmates failed to prove their treatment was 'deliberate indifference' to the virus risks

Ridgway must now see out the pandemic from his cell in Walla Walla

But many prisoners denied are low-level inmates in prison for non-violent crimes

Fears have grown for US prison populations as facilities become virus hotbeds

New York City has released more than 1,500 inmates from city jails, taking the population down to 4,363 by April 6 - its lowest prison population in 70 years

Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19

The Green River Killer - who murdered at least 49 women and evaded capture for two decades - has been denied release from prison, as thousands of Washington prison inmates are told they must stay behind bars during the pandemic.

The state Supreme Court of Washington voted 5-4 Thursday against releasing prisoners across the state while the coronavirus crisis rages on, after victims and the attorney general's office voiced outrage that some of the nation's most dangerous criminals could be let out onto the streets.

ADVERTISEMENT

Gary Ridgway, the so-called Green River Killer, must now see out the pandemic from his cell in Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla.

Thousands of inmates - about two-thirds of the state's prison population - filed a lawsuit claiming that Governor Jay Inslee and the Department of Corrections were not providing safe conditions for prisoners amid the pandemic.

They argued that they are at greater risk of contracting coronavirus by being kept locked up in the state's facilities.

Lawyers urged the courts to set free inmates who are elderly, in poor health or close to their release dates.

'We can all hold out in our homes. We can decide who we allow into our homes,' lawyer Nicholas Straley said, according to Fox News.

'People in prison do not have that option.'

Chief Justice Debra Stephens said the motion was denied because inmates had failed to prove the state's treatment of them amounted to 'deliberate indifference' to the risks of catching the deadly virus.

Click here to resize this module

Ridgway, now 70, terrorized south King County in the 1980s, as he went on a rampant killing spree of young vulnerable women - many of them prostitutes, runaways, drug addicts - after picking them up in his truck for sex

Assistant Attorney General John Samson had argued against the release, saying efforts had been made to protect inmates including the provision of face masks, moving people to separate sleep spaces, virus testing on around 300 inmates and some being released.

This came after the state was told to make a plan for protecting its prison population on April 10.

As well as Ridgway, who has boasted of slaying up to 80 women in the 1980s, other notable inmates seeking their freedom include Isaac Zamora, who killed six people in 2008.

The state Supreme Court of Washington (above) voted 5-4 Thursday against releasing prisoners across the state while the coronavirus crisis rages on

Ridgway must now see out the pandemic from his cell in Washington state penitentiary in Walla Walla

However, thousands who had their pleas rejected are low-level inmates being held in prison for non-violent crimes.

Fears have grown for the country's prison population throughout the pandemic, as high prison populations, confined spaces and poor hygiene has made facilities hotbeds for the disease.

In Washington state, at least 24 corrections department employees and 13 inmates have tested positive for the virus.

America's nearly 7,000 jails, prisons and correction facilities are an ideal breeding ground for the virus, and many prisons, jails and detention centers have been struck by outbreaks.

In the latest outbreak, four death row prisoners tested positive for the coronavirus at the Florence penitentiary in Arizona this week.

Some states have released high-risk inmates in a bid to protect inmates and employees amid the pandemic, while several high-profile inmates have tried to use the pandemic as a 'get out of jail free' card.

ADVERTISEMENT

New York City has released more than 1,500 inmates from city jails, taking the population down to 4,363 by April 6 - its lowest prison population in 70 years.

A Rikers Island cell: Concerns have been mounting for prison officers and inmates across the US amid the coronavirus pandemic. New York City has released more than 1,500 inmates from city jails, taking the population down to its lowest in 70 years