The Prison Coronavirus Disaster Everybody Warned About Is Unfolding in New York City
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“Sherman also reminds these people that Rikers Island is not just a prison for hardened criminals who have been convicted of serious and violent crimes, even if that’s how people see the place. It’s where thousands of people go when they can’t make bail. (Even though New York has reformed its cash bail system so that it’s not required for most misdemeanors, judges are still authorized to set money demands for a host of more serious crimes.) It’s also where parole violators are sent. Sherman notes that more than 600 prisoners in New York’s jail system are being held for technical parole violations. That means they didn’t violate the law but broke court-mandated rules of behavior, like violating curfew or missing a meeting with a parole officer. Some of them are back in jail for failing a drug test. Another 551 people in city jails are serving prison terms of less than a year. Sherman is urging the city to follow in the footsteps of Ohio and California and try to find ways to reduce the city’s jail population.”
