ALBUQUERQUE – The American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico and an organization of criminal defense attorneys say in a lawsuit filed Monday that state officials are not doing enough for the health of prisoners amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The complaint alleges that the government refuses to enforce its own social estating mandates, best hygiene practices, and quarantine measures. He cites violations of the state constitution, suggesting that detention situations “have become so unbearable that they constitute punishment and ruthless. “
“The state’s inability to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in criminals has already resulted in tragic loss of life and immense human suffering,” Paul Haidle, executive director of the New Mexico Criminal Defence Lawyers Association, said in a statement. “The other folks behind the criminal walls live in worry and can’t to wait some other day for situations to improve. “
The trial lists nine inmates as whistleblowers who are being held in state dungeons for various reasons, adding alleged parole violations, most of them are women, and all of them, however, two of those discussed in the complaint are imprisoned for nonviolent crimes.
The trial seeks prompt redress of the constitutional rights of all state detainees.
Others read: In mid-March, 120 inmates at the Doña Ana County detention center have conducted COVID-19 tests
Prison officials did not comment on the ongoing litigation, but said there have been just over 500 cases shown among state inmates since the start of the pandemic, with 11,765 tests conducted to date, and only 25 cases remain active, according to the ministry’s account.
Lawyers failed this year when they brought a similar case before the New Mexico Supreme Court. They argued that the state puts others at risk by not substantially reducing the criminal population. It doesn’t turn out that state movements were planned or intentional.
Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham in early April had already issued a decree ordering the state criminal branch to draw up a list of inmates eligible for early release. they fail to serve a sentence for driving under the influence of alcohol, domestic violence or assaulting a law enforcement officer and are not sex offenders.
On Friday, another 143 people were released on the governor’s orders, branch spokesman Eric Harrison said.
Efforts have been put in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the 11 state prisons. For example, all new intakes are quarantined for 14 days and scanned for the virus.
In Federal Prison: Nearly 80% of Otero County Jail State Inmates Infected with COVID-19
The branch tests 50% of the week of on-site staff for the foreseeable future. The state government of crime and fitness will also continue to conduct satellite testing of the criminal population for high-risk Americans and newcomers.
The weekly source of hygiene for prisoners has also doubled, Harrison said.
State knowledge also shows that more than 800 cases of COVID-19 have been reported among federal detainees in the state since the start of the pandemic.
In total, fitness officials reported Monday that there were approximately 24,470 cases shown state-round and 747 coronavirus-like deaths in New Mexico, including 4 deaths among the Otero County contract criminal population.