The largest city jail in New Mexico is letting some inmates go who might be at risk for the new coronavirus, officials announced on Thursday.
People in charge at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Albuquerque found several dozen inmates who fit the federal health guidelines for being at higher risk for COVID-19. However, 46 of these inmates will stay in jail because they have serious charges and cannot be released.
“We have already cleared out two living areas for quarantine, and we also have four special rooms to keep people who might be sick. So, there is no reason to release inmates who are charged with violent crimes,” said MDC Chief Ralph Fernandez in a statement.
Other inmates are being moved into programs that allow them to stay in the community while the district attorney and public defenders work with the jail and local judges to lower the number of people in the jail.
So far, no inmates or jail staff members have tested positive for the virus.
Across the state, at least 112 people have tested positive, and health officials confirmed the state’s first death related to COVID-19 on Wednesday.
To further reduce the jail population, officials are making a separate list of non-violent offenders who are not at risk for COVID-19 and could be released soon. Any inmate who is released, whether through the community program or early release, will first have to see a judge who will decide the conditions for their release.
Starting next week, jail officials said all court hearings for inmates will be held by video.
In Santa Fe County, the public defender’s office closed on Tuesday after one of its lawyers tested positive for the virus. The Santa Fe County jail has already stopped in-person visits, and the district court has switched to holding hearings by phone.
