RICHMOND, Va. (WAVY) — Criminal justice advocates in Virginia are asking judges and prosecutors to allow some incarcerated youth to shelter in place within the commonwealth’s communities instead of correctional facilities during the coronavirus pandemic.
RISE for Youth and the American Civil Liberties Union held a joint press conference on Thursday to present recommendations to protect incarcerated juveniles in Virginia during the COVID-19 crisis. RISE Executive Director Valerie Slater pointed to Rikers Island in New York as an example that inmates are at high risk for COVID-19 infection because of their confined living spaces.
Two incarcerated juveniles in Virginia facilities have tested positive for COVID-19, Slater said.
“Now is the time to act swiftly to safely reduce the number of young people held in any locked facility within Virginia,” Slater said.
RISE for Youth and the ACLU of Virginia are “calling for the immediate action” of judges and prosecutors to review cases of incarcerated youth in their localities to determine which offenders are not a threat to their communities. If a juvenile offender is not a threat, the organizations are asking for those inmates to be allowed to shelter in place at safe spaces within their communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This crisis demands that each of us do all that we can to support the health and the safety and the human rights of every Virginian. How we treat our children with the greatest support needs during this time will forever remind us of the priority, or lack thereof, that we place on taking care of our most vulnerable,” Slater said.
RISE for Youth also offered other recommendations, which can be read here.