WVPA Staff Brief
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A group of West Virginia inmates are seeking release from state confinement because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A U.S. District Court hearing is scheduled today. It was requested by Mountain State Justice.
The W.Va. Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation, county officials and groups representing law enforcement and emergency responders oppose the action.
“With the current uneasiness the pandemic has brought to each county, such an early release would only add to the apprehension,” West Virginia Emergency Management Council President Dean Meadows said. “This action could cause victim anxiety, public distrust and could very well negate the confidence that West Virginians have placed in their state and local governments, making the job of our law enforcement even more burdensome.”
