On March 27, the Administrative Office of the WV Supreme Court of Appeals issued a memo advising magistrates and circuit judges to request that prosecutors review all people currently incarcerated in WV jails and identify those detainees who do not create a public safety risk.
During the best of times, we should not be locking people up and depriving them of their rights without a trial. In a pandemic, overcrowded jails present a significant risk to of spreading disease. To mitigate this risk, the courts are to consider releasing all such individuals on personal recognizance or reduced bonds.
Read the full memorandum below: