The federal prison system has quietly broadened the ranks of inmates eligible to be transferred into home confinement as officials seek to limit the continuing spread of the coronavirus behind bars
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The latest move by the Bureau of Prisons allows inmates who have yet to complete half of their sentences to be considered for the early release program.The shift was disclosed Friday in response to a lawsuit filed on behalf of inmates at an Oakdale, Louisiana, prison complex that has seen the deadliest outbreak of COVID-19 among federal facilities.
Some inmates continue to be disqualified because they were convicted of violent offenses or child pornography-related crimes or because computerized “risk assessment” tools did not rate them among the least likely to re-offend, the prison official said. However, Segovia suggested those criteria could be relaxed further in the coming days.
“Staff continue to receive guidance on this matter and the number of inmates being given priority consideration is expanding daily,” he wrote. “Once we complete the [current] review … I have been informed that the institution may consider expanding the criteria for review.” Six inmates have died so far at the Oakdale prison complex, with 40 prisoners and 17 staff confirmed infected with the virus, according to official statistics released Friday. Nationwide, 9 federal prisoners have died, 318 inmates and 163 staff have been confirmed as infected with the virus. Testing of prisoners has been limited, so the true infection rate is believed to be higher.
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