Outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Olympia, Washington
Reuters

Vulnerability to the pandemic might be the last thing anybody in the United States needs right now. However, when there are systems, and buildings, in place that are initially meant to safeguard the public but now practically increase the likelihood of spreading infection, the state must intervene.

As other nations have already released petty criminals in an effort to contain the virus from spreading, the New Mexico Supreme Court is still in the process of determining the fate of its inmates.

Mass Gravesite

According to state health officials, New Mexico has reported over 1,400 positive cases with 36 deaths. One of the patients positive for the coronavirus initially tested negative, and she is an inmate at the Santa Fe County Detention Center.

Groups of legal experts and human rights advocates from the American Civil Liberties Union have come forward with a petition for the New Mexico Supreme Court to release low-risk prisoners during the pandemic.

The immediate release of the inmates is requested to keep the virus from spreading. Said inmates must have committed only mild offenses and must fit the standards of ethical conduct. ACLU staff attorney Lalita Moskowitz believes that the New Mexico Supreme court can afford to release prisoners in the state.

She adds that this power must be exercised soonest to protect the health of imprisoned people who can still be released and that this move can also save "medical staff, correctional officers, and communities at large."

The reason for such urgency is because of the alarming cases in other state prison facilities. Inmates in Alabama correctional centers are shown in a video by ABC News Network to lack access to proper handwashing and space for social distancing.

One of the inmates said, "It's fixin' to be a mass gravesite."

Inmates with major offenses such as convictions of violent and sexual crimes are not considered for release.

Check these out!

Releases from Other Prisons

In New York City prison, the majority of the people confirmed to have COVID-19 are the city corrections staff. From the data gathered by the New York City Department of Correction last Friday, there are over 270 workers positive for coronavirus and over 230 inmates.

Other countries' responses were immediate: Around 4,000 prisoners in the U.K. are to be temporarily released and made to stay at home. Meanwhile, reports from Turkey say that the parliament agrees to release inmates by the thousands. Turkey has a documented total of 61,000 cases and 1,300 deaths.

Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul claimed three inmates had died from COVID-19 in the prisons, while a total of 17 prisoners were positive for the virus, 13 of whom were brought to the hospital.

Keeping people in prison will only make the pandemic worse, epidemiologists say. Dr. Homer Venters especially said that without preventive measures that just when the country is trying to flatten the curve, "This is going to drive the entire epidemic curve for this nation up."