7 inmates released from Lexington County jail to help prevent coronavirus spread
As concern about the coronavirus spreading into jails grows, seven inmates of the Lexington County Detention Center have been released, according to authorities.
The inmates were released in accordance with a state Supreme Court order that said anyone charged with a non-capital offense should be released unless they are determined to be a danger to the community or is an extreme flight risk.
Non-capital offenses are any crimes that are not punishable by the death penalty. The majority of crimes are non-capital offenses.
The order aims to reduce the jail population to stymie a potential coronavirus outbreak in South Carolina’s county jails. Exemptions to the release order can be made if prosecutors can prove an inmate may flee the state to avoid court proceedings or is a danger to the community.
“All county magistrates are vigilantly monitoring the judicial branch’s response to COVID-19 and how we can work with others in the justice system to ensure the safety and security of our citizens,” Lexington County Chief Magistrate Rebecca Adams said in a statement. “The order from the Supreme Court is a significant part of that response and it’s our duty to follow it in an orderly fashion.”
The releases come as the 11th Circuit Public Defender’s Office, which defends Lexington County suspects, pushes for the release of detainees charged with nonviolent crimes and suspects who would be vulnerable to COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus.
People who are 65 and older or who have medical conditions or weakened immune systems are considered vulnerable to COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, the federal Centers for Disease Control has said. As demonstrated in a Washington nursing home and suggested by the CDC, confined spaces with large numbers of people can catalyze spread if that space is exposed to the virus.
Other cities across the United States have releases their detainees as the spread of the coronavirus escalates.
Public defenders are having to work with solicitors’ offices, which prosecute suspects, to compile cases to go before judges who decide if an inmate will be released.
“It’s important for community members to know each and every release will be handled on the basis of a court order,” Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon said. “That’s always the case and the way the system works. We strictly abide by court orders when it comes to who gets out and when.”
In Lexington, the 11th Circuit Public Defender Rob Madsen said his circuit’s solicitors office has been “somewhat receptive” to working together on releasing inmates.
“It’s facilitated the negotiations … to try to get any nonviolent offenders out of jail,” Madsen told The State.
Of the seven inmates released, four were jailed on magistrate level charges, generally low-level crimes, and three were general sessions charges, generally more severe crimes, said Capt. Adam Myrick of the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, which runs the detention center.
It’s unclear if the released detainees were recently arrested and booked or if they had been in the jail for more than two weeks, but Myrick said “their releases have all been in accordance with th(e) order” from the state supreme court.
More detainees will be released, Sheriff Koon said.
Through what’s known as the 287(g) program, the sheriff’s department also houses federal inmates for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, at the county detention center. Recently, the American Civil Liberties Union and the Northwest Immigrants Rights Project filed a lawsuit to have nine ICE detainees released from a Washington facility.
The 5th Circuit Public Defenders Office, which serves Richland and Kershaw counties, is also working to have inmates coronavirus-vulnerable and nonviolent detainees release from those counties’ jails.
So far, no information has been put out about any release of Richland or Kershaw inmates.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREWhat you should know about the coronavirus
The coronavirus is spreading in the United States. Officials are urging people to take precautions to avoid getting sick, and to avoid spreading the disease if they do contract it.
Click the drop-down icon on this card for more on the virus and what you should do to keep yourself and those around you healthy.
What is coronavirus?
Coronavirus is an infection of the respiratory system similar to the flu. Coronaviruses are a class of viruses that regularly cause illnesses among adults and children, but this outbreak has spawned a new disease called COVID-19, a particularly harsh respiratory condition that can lead to death.
Health officials believe COVID-19 spread from animals to humans somewhere in China. It spreads among humans by physical person-to-person contact, including via coughs. That’s why health officials urge sick individuals to avoid contact with other people.
For more information, visit the website for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms are similar to the flu and include fever, coughing and shortness of breath.
How can I stop the spread of the coronavirus?
Wash your hands regularly with soap and water, and cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze.
If you develop symptoms similar to the coronavirus, you should seek medical attention. Stay home from work or school and avoid contact with others. It can take up to 14 days after coming into contact with the virus to develop symptoms.
COVID-19 is a new condition and there’s much about the disease we still don’t understand. For now, taking precautions is the best way to stop the spread of the coronavirus.