No early releases for violent federal prisoners during pandemic, say Cassidy, GOP colleagues

U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) joined more than two dozen of his U.S. Senate Republican colleagues in urging the government against allowing early releases for violent offenders incarcerated in federal prisons during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We have serious concerns about the release of potentially dangerous individuals into communities during a declared national emergency and at a time when law enforcement must remain focused on preventing increased criminal activity arising from this crisis, such as cybercrime, scams, fraud, and domestic violence,” wrote Sen. Cassidy and his colleagues in an April 23 letter sent to U.S. Attorney General William Barr.

The lawmakers noted that federal, state and local law enforcement officials and probation officers currently face significant manpower and equipment shortages related to the pandemic.

“Therefore, our communities lack the adequate resources to supervise a drastically increased number of criminal offenders to ensure that they are able to successfully re-enter their communities without committing additional crimes,” Sen. Cassidy and the senators wrote.

“During this challenging situation, citizens and law enforcement must focus on responding to the threat COVID-19 poses to their families, communities, and livelihoods — not the increased burdens imposed by large-scale early releases of violent criminals from our prisons and jails,” wrote the senators.

Among the 27 senators who joined Sen. Cassidy in signing the letter were U.S. Sens. Joni Ernst (R-IA), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Roy Blunt (R-MO), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Pat Roberts (R-KS), John Hoeven (R-ND), Shelly Moore Capito (R-WV), and Steve Daines (R-MT).