Counties reducing jail population to help fight COVID-19

Lane County uses a risk assessment tool to determine who gets released early and who is booked into the jail.

News.

Governor kate brown signed an executive order allowing some inamtes to get out of jail early... to slow the spread..

On a case by case basis.

Kezi nine news reporer connor mccarthy joins us live... outside the lane county jail -- where their capacity is down 31 percent.

Matt and renee county sheriff office tells me the jail capacity behind me is 382 inmates and the sheriff officer says and today there are 261 inmates.

The reduction is based on people completing their sentence... but also the release of some inmates to help slow the spread of covid-19.

Each inmate or potential inmate that is released is evaluated if they pose a danger to the community and if thet are able to succeed in the community.

The sheriff office says because of this reduction... some inmates are able to have their own cell while others in their dormitory style roomas are able to be more than six feet apart from each other.

Officials also say they have changed their family visits to video chat to limit outside exposure to inmates.

The community has been very supportive of the steps that they have taken.

We know that it impacts those families first and foremost on top ofv everything else people are going through with covid-19.

They also have this unique extranuating circumstance having a loved one in our facilities so we'r really appreciative of their patience with us.

Carver says they have conducted 5 tests for the coronavirus and each one has come back negative.

Matt and renee-- for those who are arrested, carver says all the evaluations done before booking, whether its the pre- trial or medical examaniatiom... is done in the parking lot.

But for those not booked... it doesn't mean they escape the law..

Carver says those people are usually placed in a sheriff's work program or community service.

Reporting live in eugene connor mccarthy kezi nine news.