2020 Reports

Two months later: Outcomes of the March 27th order to release people jailed for technical violations during the pandemic

Schiraldi, Vincent N.

This research brief assesses the impact of a March 27, 2020 announcement from the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS), indicating that it would release up to 1,100 people jailed in county facilities for accusations of technical parole violations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It concludes that the state released around three-quarters of those originally anticipated by the NYS Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. It additionally finds that in the two months since the directive was issued, more than 160 people accused of technical parole violations were newly sent to the Rikers jails. This number appears to be accelerating and is projected to surpass the number of people released by June or early July, 2020. The brief concludes with recommendations for policy and practice.