CDCR announces program to curtail COVID spread

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) has announced the implementation of a community supervision program to eligible inmates in order to amplify actions to protect staff and inmates at the state’s prisons from the spread of COVID-19.

Specifically, CDCR’S community supervision plan will be for eligible inmates who have 180 days or less to serve on their sentences and are not currently serving time for domestic violence, or a violent or serious crime as defined by law, or are a person required to register as a sex offender under Penal Code 290.

The incarcerated person must also have housing plans identified before participating in the program, and they will remain under close supervision for the duration of their sentence, up to 180 days. Once an offender meets their regularly scheduled release date in the community, they will either remain on state parole supervision, transfer to county post-release community supervision, or discharge from their sentence, depending on their post-release requirements. To ensure public safety, those under community supervision may be remanded back to state prison for any reason to serve the remainder of their sentence.

The community supervision plan is scheduled to begin implementation on July 1, 2020.

Through the suspension of county jail intake, as well as the expedited parole of approximately 3,500 incarcerated persons in April, CDCR has reduced the incarcerated population by more than 8,000 since midmarch.

Before an incarcerated person is released from any institution, they will be offered testing for COVID-19 within seven days of their anticipated release. For those who test positive, CDCR will work with state and local public health and law enforcement officials to find housing where the incarcerated person can be safely isolated and monitored. They will also be released with five reusable cloth barrier masks provided by the department with appropriate precautionary measures taken during transportation.

All victim notification requirements are being met. For more information on CDCR’S efforts to protect staff and inmates from COVID-19, visit https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/covid19/updates/