An old-style pod is shown in the north tower during a tour of the Clark County Detention Center Tuesday, July 23, 2013.
Published Friday, April 17, 2020 | 3:03 p.m.
Updated Friday, April 17, 2020 | 4:04 p.m.
Up to 290 nonviolent inmates at the Clark County Detention Center will be released to try to curb the spread of the coronavirus behind bars, Sheriff Joe Lombardo said today.
Four inmates at the jail, which houses about 2,900, had tested positive for COVID-19 as of Friday, and three of them have been released, Lombardo said.
The sheriff on Thursday asked the Clark County District Court to let him release up to 10% of the jail population. Releases began Thursday night, according to Metro Police.
Those who qualify for release have underlying medical conditions, have served at least 75% of their sentences or were jailed solely on technical parole or probation violations, Clark County Assistant Sheriff Chris Jones said.
If there aren’t 290 inmates who meet those criteria, then fewer will be released, officials said.
“It was not an easy decision,” Lombardo said. “As sheriff, my greatest concern is for the safety of this community. The pandemic has presented a situation where I had to balance public safety and the health of personnel, as well as the inmates.”
Inmates who qualify for release don't have to pay bail and, for most, the release will be permanent, Jones said. Some may be required to submit to electronic monitoring, he said.
Officials were coordinating with housing providers to help inmates who are released and don't have anywhere to go, Jones said.
Masks have been provided to inmates who remain at the jail to wear outside their cells, Undersheriff Kevin McMahill said. Corrections officers also are required to wear masks, per a union agreement.
Temperature checks have also been implemented for those entering the jail, McMahill said.
