Released From Prison Early Because of COVID-19
Oct 23 2020
Health concerns surrounding overcrowded jails and the onset of COVID-19 combined with nationwide calls for criminal justice reform have led many cities and states across the country to reduce jail populations, but the question of what happens to people after they’re released is less clear. Without family support or job prospects, many wind up in homeless shelters which often leads to rearrests that strain the system and cost taxpayers thousands of dollars. In NYC, the concern about the spread of COVID-19 in homeless shelters prompted the The Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice and Mayor's Office of Emergency Management to come up with a different solution -- to house formerly incarcerated individuals in hotels that have been emptied due to the halt in tourism during the pandemic.

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