The Prisoners Freed Over Covid Concerns Do Not Need to Report Back

From The New York Post: Thousands of federal inmates who were freed to curb the spread of COVID-19 will not have to return to prison when the health emergency ends, Justice Department officials announced. The move reverses a January order issued by the previous Trump administration and affects nearly 5,000 convicts who will now be allowed to remain out of jail on home confinement (The New York Post). 

From AG Merrick Garland: “Thousands of people on home confinement have reconnected with their families, have found gainful employment, and have followed the rules. In light of today’s Office of Legal Counsel opinion, I have directed that the Department engage in a rulemaking process to ensure that the Department lives up to the letter and the spirit of the CARES Act. We will exercise our authority so that those who have made rehabilitative progress and complied with the conditions of home confinement, and who in the interests of justice should be given an opportunity to continue transitioning back to society, are not unnecessarily returned to prison” (The DOJ). 

From The Washington Post: Emily Singer, press secretary of Democracy Forward, called the Justice ruling “excellent news for thousands of people and families to get before the holidays” (The Washington Post).