Congress Misses Opportunity to Address the Next Hotbed for Coronavirus Spread: Overcrowding in Federal Prisons

With Prisons on Brink of COVID-19 Outbreak, Advocates Urge the Administration to Use Expanded Authority to Release Non-Violent Inmates

Washington – As the federal COVID-19 response package heads for a Senate vote without significant provisions to address prison overcrowding, Holly Harris, President and Executive Director of Justice Action Network, the country’s largest organization working on bipartisan criminal justice reform solutions, issued the following statement:

“The Phase III COVID-19 response package agreed to in the early morning hours contains a modest provision expanding the Bureau of Prison’s authority to transfer non-violent prisoners to home confinement during this emergency. But expanded authority is only effective if the authority is willing to use it. Thus far, we have no indication that the Bureau of Prisons or the Department of Justice understand the gravity of this moment. 

The country’s criminal justice system is at code red, and on the verge of outbreak. Elderly and sick inmates are the least likely to recommit crimes, but the most likely to contract and die from this virus, putting correctional officers and their entire communities at risk.

Many Americans are now questioning why we are spending more than a billion dollars housing non-violent, old and sick prisoners when the country’s economy is on the brink of disaster, schools have shut down, and we are in the midst of an historic health care crisis?

Congress missed an opportunity to exercise common sense, save significant taxpayer dollars and safely reduce prison overcrowding. And every day that people are packed into prisons like sardines, the more likely we are to see further and faster spread of the novel coronavirus through these facilities, and into our communities. We appreciate the support of Chairman Grassley, Senator Durbin and Senator Lee, and will keep beating the drum to include more significant emergency measures in Phase IV legislation. In the meantime, we implore President Trump to pick up where Congress fell short, and issue an executive order immediately transferring to home confinement lower level offenders who are at high risk to contract and spread COVID-19.