Inmates released to make room for others who might be quarantined
Berks County Prison has released some inmates who have served minimum sentences to create space to quarantine those coming into the facility during the coronavirus pandemic.
Officials did not yet have an exact number of those released. However, none of the released inmates would be required to return.
District Attorney John T. Adams, who serves as chairman of the Berks County Prison Board, said he met this week with Warden Janine Quigley to discuss ways create more space to accommodate new inmates during the health crisis.
“Based on the coronavirus protocols, we want all new commitments isolated for 14 days before they are placed in general population,” he said during a phone interview on Thursday. “This way, we believe, we will protect the health and safety of the inmates who are housed there and those who work there.”
The prison also:
• Suspended visitations by families or friends until further notice. There will, however, be limited professional visitation between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.
• The county also has temporarily suspended its work-release program and informed those who have been sentenced to serve on weekends not to report to the facility until the end of June.
Adams said the changes were enacted to prevent bringing the coronavirus into the prison.
While there are currently no confirmed cases of the virus among the roughly 880 inmates at the Bern Township facility, Adams acknowledged that a prison population is highly vulnerable to outbreaks of contagious illnesses.
Adams said fewer than 50 of the individuals who were freed were eligible to be released.
He explained that the prison is expediting the release of inmates that had either met their minimum sentence, been given time off their sentence by the court for good behavior or been awarded credit for participation in certain programs at the prison.
“We’re ramping up the parole and release process so no one is in the jail past their minimum sentence,” Adams said.
Adams commended
Robert Williams, chief of adult probation and parole, for utilizing a number of resources to accomplish the release of these inmates. He also praised Berks County President Judge Thomas G. Parisi for working with Quigley to award deserving inmates earned time credit — which has moved forward the minimum sentence dates for nonviolent inmates.
He added that about 25 individuals, who were serving sentences for domestic relations infractions like failure to pay child support, were released.
Adams stressed that releasing these individuals has not jeopardized the safety of the community.
“In evaluating the individuals who have been released, I do not believe that we have compromised the community in any respect,” he said. “I can say with complete honesty that these individuals are not a danger to the general public.”