A federal judge will allow a case against the state of Connecticut to move forward. The lawsuit asks the state to release prisoners who may be especially at risk of contracting COVID-19.
The ACLU of Connecticut brought the class action lawsuit in federal court. It calls for the release of vulnerable inmates, including those with pre-existing conditions.
The state had argued the case should be dismissed in federal court because it could be pursued in state court instead. Then a state superior court judge dismissed a similar lawsuit brought by the ACLU last month.
An ACLU attorney called the state’s argument a procedural shell game and said the Department of Correction has placed prisoners in grave, imminent danger.
Meanwhile, the Department of Correction says its prison population has dropped by more than 1,600 people since March 1st.
The department says it’s releasing low-risk prisoners with stable home plans and emptying beds to create space during the pandemic.
Commissioner Rollin Cook authorized furloughs last month of up to 45 days for inmates serving sentences of two years or less.
Almost 500 inmates have tested positive for COVID-19, and at least six have died.
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