A handful of Democrats in New York are asking Gov. Andrew Cuomo to review the state’s inmate population and possibly grant medical furloughs or compassionate release to people that may be vulnerable to the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19.
The lawmakers made the request in a letter sent Wednesday afternoon to Cuomo, who’s taken several actions in recent days to curb the spread of the disease.
“Please consider immediately ordering a review of all people in New York prisons and jails who are elderly or inform, with an eye toward providing medical furloughs or compassionate release to as many people as possible,” the lawmakers wrote.
The letter is signed by Assemblymembers David Weprin, Jo Anne Simon, Daniel O’Donnell, Joe Lentol, Linda Rosenthal, Richard Gottfried, Carmen de la Rosa, Harvey Epstein, Felix Ortiz, Kimberly Jean-Pierre, Tom Abinanti, and Andrew Hevesi.
The lawmakers wrote that, if someone in a prison or jail contracted the coronavirus, it would be near impossible to stop the disease from spreading to other inmates and staff. They also predicted the disease would, consequently, kill vulnerable individuals in those facilities.
The disease is most likely to adversely affect older individuals, and people with underlying respiratory illnesses.
“Were COVID-19 to infect a given prison population while simultaneously raging in broader community and pressing hospitals to their limits — which is likely to be the case — the demographics of our state’s prisons means that deaths among incarcerated populations would be difficult to avoid,” the letter said.
They called on Cuomo to order the review immediately since such an analysis would take time. They also suggested that the state distribute soap to inmates at no cost, and educate them on the facts of the disease.
The group of lawmakers also asked Cuomo to order local prison staff and members of law enforcement to develop a protocol for quarantining individuals who test positive for the disease, and to avoid quarantining an entire jail or prison.
Cuomo’s office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.