DOVER, Del - A declining prison population and a COVID-19 update were part of a statement issued on Tuesday by Delaware's Department of Correction. The DOC attributes the overall decline to lower crime rates, the implementation of a statewide bail reform, and improvement in the state's reentry services. Here is a breakdown of the lower incarceration:
- 10% reduction in Delaware's inmate population (Level V prison and Level IV violation of probation/work release) since March 1, driven by a 25% reduction in the pre-trial detentioner population over the past 8 weeks.
- 33% decrease since March 1 in Delaware's work release/violation of probation population who are held in Community Corrections facilities in Wilmington, New Castle and Georgetown.
- DOC's Level V prison facilities are today operating at 73% of operating capacity. This excess capacity across all facilities has freed up space that the DOC has used to spread out inmates, where possible, create extra space for inmate programming, and create separate housing tiers for new commits for their first 14 days of incarceration. In addition, a vacant building at James T. Vaughn Correctional Center has been converted to a COVID-19 treatment center
The DOC also announcing 34 inmates have recovered from COVID-19. They also say that several correctional officers and probation officers have recovered but did not list a specific number. “Proactive testing for inmates and employees is a key part of our efforts to contain the spread of COVID in our facilities," Commissioner Claire DeMatteis said. "Asymptomatic inmates may never develop symptoms, but proactive early detection, especially for inmates with a long history of serious medical problems, enables us to quarantine and monitor these individuals and immediately begin treatment should symptoms appear." The DOC states they have temporarily suspended in-person programming to reduce the movement of people into and within the facilities.