Low-level offenders fight post-COVID prison return orders.
The federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) released many low-level offenders in their prison systems to home confinement during the pandemic, intending to create social distance in their close-quarter facilities. Now that the threat of COVID-19 has diminished, the BOP has ordered many of those low-level offenders to return to prison.
Three women have filed suit against the bureau, saying the BOP’s decision returns them to prison without just cause. The attorney representing the women stated, “These cases could help shed light on the black box of how the BOP goes about deciding who to re-imprison, and a favorable ruling could certainly lead to additional litigation around the country.”
The BOP reports, “Currently, the BOP has 6,189 inmates on home confinement. The total number of inmates placed in home confinement from March 26, 2020, to the present (including inmates who have completed service of their sentence) is 42,308.”
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For officials in the Federal Bureau of Prisons as they evaluate people who are on home confinement.
- For the federal judge who hears the case to be discerning in the decision.
- With thanksgiving to the Lord that the COVID-19 pandemic has receded.
Sources: Reuters, Bureau of Prisons
