Some Inmates May Soon Serve Sentences At Home Due To Coronavirus

Natasha Brown reports.

CITY, ALYCIA REID FOR CBS-3"EYEWITNESS NEWS".THANKS VERY MUCH FOR THAT.IN BOTH PENNSYLVANIA ANDNEW JERSEY SOME INMATES MAYSOON SERVE SOME OF THEIRSENTENCES AT HOME.IT IS PART OF THE PLAN TO STOPTHE SPREAD OF THE VIRUS INPRISON.NATASHA BROWN HAS A CLOSERLOOK AT TODAY'S ANNOUNCEMENT.REPORTER: WITH NEW JERSEYDEALING WITH MORE THAN 54,000POSITIVE CORONAVIRUS CASES ANDPENNSYLVANIA NEARLY 20,000CASES, GOVERNORS IN BOTHSTATES ARE USING ANY AND ALLMEANS NECESSARY TO TRY TO SLOWTHE SPREAD OF THIS DEADLYVIRUS.THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMICREACHED PRISON SYSTEMS AROUNDTHE COUNTRY.NOW THE NEW JERSEY ANDPENNSYLVANIA GOVERNORS IN BOTHSTATES ARE TAKING DRASTICLEGISLATIVE ACTION TO TRY TOSLOW THE SPREAD OF THE VIRUSIN THOSE POPULATIONS.TODAY I'M SIGNING ANEXECUTIVE ORDER TO HELPPRESERVE THIS BALANCE BETWEENHELTON ONE HAND AND PUBLICHEALTH AND PUBLIC SAFETY.REPORTER: IN AN ATTEMPT TOBALANCE PUBLIC SAFETY ANDPUBLIC HEALTH LOW RISK INMATES60 YEARS OLD OR OLDER WHO HAVEUNDERLYING HEALTH ISSUES WILLBE PLACED ON TEMPORARY HOMECONFINEMENT IN NEW JERSEY ORGRANTED PAROLE IF ELIGIBLE.WE ARE SETTING UP A ROBUSTPROCESS THROUGH WHICH EACHPOTENTIALLY ELIGIBLEINDIVIDUAL MUST BE DETERMINEDTO BE SAFE TO PLACE ON HOMECONFINEMENT, AND EACH WILL BEREQUIRED TO HAVE ANINDIVIDUALIZED RELEASE PLAN.REPORTER: NO VIOLENTOFFENDERS WILL BE CONSIDERED,ON THE HEELS OF THE GOVERNORMURPHY'S ORDER PENNSYLVANIAGOVERNOR TOM WOLF IS ALSO NOWORDERING THE RELEASE OF ASMANY AS 1500 TO 1800VULNERABLE NONVIOLENT INMATES,IN A SUPERVISED HOMECONFINEMENT.GOVERNOR WOLF ANNOUNCED A PLANTO HELP THE HOSPITAL SYSTEM INTHE COMMONWEALTH HIT HARD BYCOVID-19 CRISIS.TODAY I'M ANNOUNCING THEHOSPITAL EMERGENCY LOANPROGRAM.THIS IS A 450 MILLION-DOLLARLOW INTERLOPE PACKAGE THATWILL PROVIDE IMMEDIATE WORKINGCAPITOL THAT WILL ALLOW OURMEDICAL FACILITIES TO GET THEPERSONALLY QUIP.AND THE PERSONAL PROTECTIVEEQUIPMENT THAT THEY NEED.REPORTER: RELEASE OFNONVIOLENT OLDER PRISONERS INPENNSYLVANIA COULD HAPPEN ASEARLY AS NEXT WEEK, MEANTIME,OFFICIALNESS BOTH NEW JERSEYAND PENNSYLVANIA ARECONTINUING TO TRY TO SECUREMUCH NEEDED PROTECTIVE GEARFOR HOSPITAL WORKERS FROMNURSING HOMES AND FOR PRISON