Associated Press Published

Request To Have West Virginia Inmates Released Is Rejected

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A federal judge rejected a request to have several inmates released in West Virginia due to the coronavirus pandemic.

U.S. District Judge Robert C. Chambers on Monday denied Mountain State Justice’s request that the Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation be ordered to release inmates from prisons and jails, the Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety said in a news release.

Chambers found that the agency has responded to the threat from the virus “through appropriate policies and measured mechanisms for reducing facility populations,” the release said.

Law enforcement groups and emergency responders opposed the request.

Jennifer Wagner, a lawyer for Mountain State Justice, said the motion for a preliminary injunction was filed because they are seeking to have the department take the necessary steps to save the lives of inmates and staff, WCHS-TV reported.