By AFPMore by this AuthorManila,Nearly 10,000 prison inmates have been released in the Philippines as the country races to halt coronavirus infections in its overcrowded jails, a Supreme Court official said Saturday. The move follows a directive to lower courts to release those awaiting trial in prison because they could not afford bail, Associate Supreme Court Justice Mario Victor Leonen told reporters. "The court is very much aware of the congested situation in our prisons," Leonen told reporters as he announced the release of 9,731 inmates. BIG PROBLEMCovid-19 outbreaks have been reported at some of the country's most overcrowded jails, affecting both inmates as well as corrections personnel. OUTBREAKSAmong those which have reported outbreaks are the Quezon City Jail in the capital Manila, a facility so crowded that inmates take turns sleeping on staircases and open-air basketball courts.

Source: Daily Nation May 02, 2020 10:52 UTC