On March 19th, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez highly recommended the compassionate release of hundreds of prisoners from jail who are most vulnerable to the coronavirus outbreak. Since then, Harris County felony judges have called for the release of approximately 60 people jailed for felony offenses – a drop in the bucket compared to the total number of prisoners in the county and state.
Ultimately, Sheriff Gonzalez and other compassionate individuals are advocating for the release of prisoners to prevent the rapid, potentially devastating spread of coronavirus among an especially vulnerable segment of our society.
Many prisoners have health conditions or other factors that may make them more at risk of contracting coronavirus. And with many prisons failing to maintain the recommended social distancing protocols, a single inmate contracting COVID-19 has the potential of rapidly spreading the disease throughout the prison system – impacting other healthy detainees, along with employees, their families and communities.
Additionally, many prisons and jails simply do not have the resources or personnel to deal with a potential outbreak – especially not one as serious as COVID-19. Releasing the more vulnerable detainees in our prisons would not only lower the chances of an outbreak, but it would also give these prisoners the ability to take the measures necessary to prevent exposure to coronavirus.
Although about 60 prisoners have already been released, Sheriff Gonzalez is advocating for the compassionate release of hundreds of prisoners that are most vulnerable to coronavirus infection. This includes:
With thousands of inmates being released across the nation, Harris County may take further measures to release more inmates under similar qualifications as time passes.
If you have a loved one who is currently in prison in Harris County that may be at high risk of coronavirus exposure and infection, please contact us immediately to discuss your case. We believe it is important to never forget that prisoners are human too. Ensuring that they are in the safest position possible in the midst of a global pandemic is a basic human right that should be afforded to everyone – no matter what crimes they may have committed.
Through our efforts, we have successfully advocated for the early release of a client who suffers from an autoimmune disorder. Detained a month ago on a theft conviction, we believed that keeping him confined in Harris County jail would be a great risk for his health and the health of other inmates. With our assistance, he is one of the few under consideration to be released under the orders of the district judge.
Please contact us today to see how we can help some of the most vulnerable members of our society. We want to assist in any way we can.