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Release More Jail Inmates To Fight The Coronavirus? Sheriffs Differ.

By Frank Stoltze
Published May 21, 2020 7:05 AM
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If you ask your local sheriff whether he thinks it's a good idea to release more non-violent inmates to fight the spread of COVID-19 in his jails, the answer you get will depend on where you live.

The sheriffs in Los Angeles and Orange counties largely embraced the idea. The sheriffs in Riverside and San Bernardino counties rejected it.

"We had to think big and be a little bold" in addressing L.A.'s overcrowded jails, said L.A. Sheriff Alex Villanueva.

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"If you don't want to catch this virus while you're in custody, don't break the law," Riverside Sheriff Chad Bianco told us.

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