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Release prisoners during the Pandemic? - Coggle Diagram
Release prisoners during the Pandemic?
Reasons to do it.
Many people in jail are awaiting trial. Not convicted yet.
Why? Because many don't have bail money.
Rich can pay bail, poor people can't
Not needed. DC enacted bail reform and NJ did too, and almost everyone came back to court even without bail.
People are more likely agree to plea agreements even though aren't guilty
US has much higher incarceration rate than almost every country in the world over 650 per 100,000 people
Long term convicts that have been released after long sentences for serious crimes, older, and have not re-committed crimes
Most crimes committed by young 18-27 years old
Older people have higher risk for virus
Guards are at risk too, and their families
Most survivors of crime, when given choice, prefer restorative justice alternatives.
Many people who are in jail are because they violated probation or parole.
Many categories of prisoners might be appropriate for release during COVID19 - on bail, older, long-term prisoners, in prison because on probation or parole
Weren't given death sentences!
One study said there would be 99,000 more people who will get sick with Covid-19 if we don't release
Questions?
Where would prisoners go - and if prisoners are mostly poor, might they be returned to apartments that are already crowded and putting them at risk.
Case where people released in Florida murdered someone?
Many people released already. Iran released 45%.
MA group called Families for Justice and Healing is working on this here in the Commonwealth.
Also people raising money for bail funds, but it's not working in MA currently.
Week of
action
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