Seeking to stem the spread of coronavirus in city jails, officials will release 23 more inmates from Rikers Island and other New York City facilities, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Sunday.
In addition, 200 more people who are vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic will have their case file reviewed to see if they are eligible to be cut free, the mayor said.
“We are looking at each individual case,” de Blasio said during an afternoon press conference.
“We are absolutely going to move very fast now,” the mayor added, saying the process was “complex.”
“Clearly, there are some people we do not feel comfortable releasing.”
This is the second round of inmates released because they had underlying health conditions or minor charges — as well as a low risk of re-offending. The city let 40 inmates out on Friday.
The move comes as the New York City facilities are experiencing the largest outbreak of coronavirus cases in any US jail system — with officials and advocates warning of an exponential increase in infected inmates and employees.
On Sunday, the city Department of Correction said it had 17 sick staffers and 29 inmates confirmed to have COVID-19.
Additionally, 58 inmates were being monitored.