Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) said Thursday he has no plans to issue an executive order to facilitate the release of nonviolent inmates from state prisons. (Timothy C. Wright/For the Washington Post)

The ACLU of Virginia and more than 40 other groups called Thursday for the swift release of any nonviolent inmates in the state’s prisons and jails and greater transparency from officials as the coronavirus spreads among incarcerated populations.

The groups called for conditional pardons for anyone one year or less away from release, a moratorium on new admissions to jails and prisons except for violent offenders and more detailed information about covid-19 cases behind bars. The groups want correctional centers to publicly release the number of covid-19 cases at their facilities, the number of inmates tested and what measures were being taken to stop the spread of the virus.

Virginia lacks a coordinated response to the pandemic in prisons and jails from the top, the groups said. “The actions so far from the governor and his administration do not go nearly far enough in addressing this pandemic within Virginia prisons, jails and custodial facilities,” Ashna Khanna, legislative director of the ACLU of Virginia said at a news conference.

To date, 42 inmates and staff have tested positive for the coronavirus at Virginia prisons, according to the Virginia Department of Corrections. Five inmates have been hospitalized.

The call for action came one day after a group of inmates sued Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) and other state officials in federal court, arguing their potential exposure to covid-19 in correctional facilities amounts to cruel and unusual punishment. The lawsuit claims inmates are unable to maintain social distance, prison staff are not using protective gear and inmates have been forced to manufacture face masks without the benefit of using them.

State facilities have barred visitors to inmates, increased cleanings and distributed personal protective gear to inmates and guards in some instances to try to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Northam said Monday he has no plans to take executive action on the issue.

“We have protocol that we work through with parole, and my folks are working around the clock,” Northam said at a news conference. “A number of individuals have been released, and we will continue to work around the clock. But we have to follow our protocol and as far as an executive order, I don’t plan on releasing an executive order.”

Separately, Fairfax County prosecutor Steve Descano announced Thursday he would begin reviewing the cases of every single inmate incarcerated at the county jail — more than 600 — to see if each would qualify for early release.