Apr 10, 2020 2 min read

Gov. Tom Wolf plans to release as many as 1,800 nonviolent state prisoners to county jails or home confinement amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Wolf said Friday he will use his authority under the state Constitution and the Emergency Management Services Code as an effort to slow the spread of the virus.

“These actions, including those in the state corrections system, will save lives, help stop the spread of the virus and avoid overwhelming our already-burdened health care system,” Wolf said in a news release.

The order applies to those who are eligible for release within the next nine months or considered a high risk for complications of coronavirus and are within 12 months of their release, Wolf stated.

Corrections Secretary John Wetzel said state prisons must reduce populations to manage the virus and avoid risking the health and safety of inmates and employees.

Washington County Commission Chairman Diana Irey Vaughan said she received noticed Friday from the state about the inmate release, but that she didn’t know the details of the plan or whether or not the county jail would receive any of the prisoners.

“We will accommodate what is required,” said Irey Vaughan, who also is chairman of the county prison board. “It will challenging.”

In a conference call with the media Friday afternoon, Wolf said his staff has been working with county district attorneys on the plan to release state prisoners in their jurisdictions.

“We are trying to make sure our prison populations are not overloaded, Wolf said.

“We want to do this safely. If they still have time to serve they are going right back to prison once this is over,” Wolf said.

Wolf said there is a priority on making a speeding prison release.

“The virus is unforgiving,” he said.