Santa Cruz County Sheriff Jim Hart says prisoners are being released from county jail amid concerns about a possible coronavirus outbreak among the jail population. Hart tells reporters that while no one in custody has tested COVID-positive, even a small outbreak could quickly overwhelm local hospitals.
A California judicial court ruling has temporarily eliminated bail for people arrested and charged with low-level offenses. It’s part of an effort to slow the influx of inmates and chances of a coronavirus outbreak in county jails.
The Monterey County Jail released 53 non-violent offenders over the weekend.
The Monterey County Jail usually has a monthly intake of about 1,000 inmates. Officials say that’s now down to less than 400. All of whom require a 14-day quarantine before entering the jail population.
Hart said that in Santa Cruz, the jail was at 120% capacity before the pandemic, which has now dropped to about 60%.
