Court orders San Quentin prison population reduced by 50 percent
Source: The Hill
The population of San Quentin state prison has been ordered to be reduced to less than half its capacity by a California appeals court.
The Associated Press reports that the court cited "deliberate indifference" to the coronavirus pandemic's effect on the prison population in its decision. Unless prison officials successfully appeal the decision, they will have to transfer or parole about half of the roughly 2,900 inmates currently at San Quentin, the news service noted.
In its ruling, the court referred to San Quentin's coronavirus outbreak as "the worst epidemiological disaster in California correctional history." At the peak of the outbreak, nearly 75 percent of the inmate population had tested positive for the coronavirus and 28 prisoners had died, the AP noted. Out of the prison's population, there are currently about 700 prisoners who are ineligible for parole, it added.
The outbreak first reportedly occurred due to a "botched the transfer of inmates" from another Southern California prison where infected prisoners were sent to San Quentin without being tested.
Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/court-orders-san-quentin-prison-population-reduced-by-50-percent/ar-BB1aisRo?li=BBnb7Kz
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