But simply releasing prisoners is absolutely not the solution to the problem at hand. Physical distancing is absolutely impossible in jails and prisons and, thus, the characterization of the prison system as “a ticking time bomb” with respect to the Covid-19 epidemic is certainly accurate. Nevertheless, simply releasing large numbers of prisoners, as some are emphatically suggesting, is out of the question and would put far more people at risk. Beyond that, the Corrections bureau and the Department of Health must work together to speed up the Covid-19 response in the nation’s jails and prisons. The answer to that, however, is to address the health risks, and not to put the public at greater risk by indiscriminately releasing prisoners.

Source: Manila Times May 01, 2020 16:30 UTC