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March 24, 2020

NJ Plans to Release Some 1,000 Prisoners from County Jails to Limit Spread of Coronavirus
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New Jersey said it would start releasing as many as 1,000 inmates from
county jails starting today to limit the spread of the coronavirus. In
New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Monday 75 prisoners have
already been released, and officials were reviewing cases of hundreds
more. At Rikers Island, 39 coronavirus cases have been reported among
prisoners and 21 among staff, as of Monday.

Meanwhile in Chicago, local authorities say they are planning to release
low-risk prisoners after two inmates at the Cook County Jail tested
positive for COVID-19. A corrections officer at the facility also
recently tested positive for the coronavirus.


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