Gov. Wolf approves release of up to 1,800 inmates amid coronavirus concerns

Up to 1,800 Pennsylvania prison inmates scheduled for release in the next year could be temporarily released as part of a plan to reduce the spread of coronavirus, Gov. Tom Wolf said Friday.

Eligible inmates could start being released to home confinement or community facilities as early as Tuesday, according to the governor’s office.

The program applies only to state prison inmates who have been identified as non-violent and were scheduled for release in the next nine months. It also applies to those who are considered highly vulnerable to the virus and scheduled for release within 12 months.

Department of Corrections Secretary John Wetzel said releasing inmates who are not a threat to public safety will save lives.

“Without this temporary program, we are risking the health, and potentially lives, of employees and inmates,” Wetzel said. “We can safely release individuals to the community to reduce their vulnerability and allow the department to successfully manage covid-19.”

As of Friday morning, there were 11 cases of the virus at SCI-Phoenix in Montgomery County. Montgomery County has been hit particularly hard, with more than 1,880 cases and 50 deaths.

Officials said growing concern about cases spreading to other facilities played into the decision.

Wolf’s order includes a slew of charges that make an inmate ineligible for release under the Temporary Program to Reprieve Sentences of Incarceration.

He said the program will “reduce our non-violent prison population and leave fewer inmates at risk … while maintaining public safety.”

Between 1,500 and 1,800 inmates could qualify, but normal re-entry challenges — food and housing insecurity, lack of health care access — will mean many of those otherwise eligible will remain behind bars.

Wetzel said re-entry plans will be made with inmates who are eligible.

“Our re-entry plans will include several days of release planning with the inmate, preparing and connecting the inmate to treatment programs in the community, release transportation and a complete medical screening to ensure that we are not releasing sick inmates,” he said. “We’ll also provide them with an appropriate medication supply and connect them to medical providers in the community.”

Those who are released will be monitored as they would be as if on parole, and they will be supervised by a parole officer. The release will last the duration of Wolf’s disaster declaration. If, when the declaration is lifted, individuals still have time remaining in their sentence, they will be sent back to prison to finish their sentences.

Mike Turzai, speaker of the state House of Representatives, called the inmate release “irresponsible.”