Coronavirus Riles Criminal Justice System

The COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic is having an especially extreme impact in close-quarters settings, including jails and prisons; the Bureau of Prisons announced earlier this week that of roughly 2,700 federal inmates tested for the coronavirus, 70% were shown to have COVID-19. The question of how to combat that reality is the center of debate over criminal justice reform, public safety and human rights. Left-rated outlets and voices have covered the issue more closely, with some urging a creative use of commutations, home confinement and other alternative detainment methods to protect prisoners and avoid amplified outbreaks. Some right-rated voices criticized movements to release prisoners, alleging that such decisions were made in pursuit of ideological goals rather than true public safety.