With Portland, Oregon, continuing to experience violent clashes between police and protesters, the state's governor may release hundreds of prisoners because of the coronavirus pandemic.
According to OregonLive.com, Gov. Kate Brown sent a letter to Colette Peters, the director of the Oregon Department of Corrections, proposing to release as many as 400 inmates early in an effort to avoid a COVID-19 cluster in the prison system.
"Given what we now know about the disease and its pervasiveness in our communities, it is appropriate to review for potential release individuals who face significant health challenges should they contract COVID-19," the letter reads.
Brown added that any inmates who are declared an "unacceptable safety, security or compliance risk to the community" would stay behind bars.
Police in Portland have dealt with daily protests after the police killing of George Floyd on May 25 in Minneapolis.
Prisoners eligible for early release under Brown's plan would have two months or less left in their sentence. There would also be roughly 12 "medically vulnerable" inmates who would be freed.
According to WorldoMeter, Oregon has seen more than 25,000 COVID-19 cases and fewer than 500 deaths.
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