Ricketts: Releasing Inmates Early is Irresponsible

What Ricketts had to say about other states releasing inmates early due to coronavirus concerns when it comes to Nebraska.

RICKETTS HAS BEENHOLDING DAILY PRESSBRIEFING FOR WEEKS.BUT HE HAS BEENUNABLE TO ANSWERSOME QUESTIONS ONHOW THE PRISONSARE DEALING WITHTHE CORONAVIRUSOUTBREAK.THAT CHANGEDTODAY ASCORRECTIONSDIRECTOR SCOTTFRAKES SPOKE AT THENEWS CONFERENCE.HE SAYS ALL INMATESAND STAFF AND HAVEBEEN ORDERED TOPRACTICE SOCIALDISTANCING AND HAVEBEEN GIVEN A MASK.REPORTER JONKIPPER TELLS USABOUT ONE THINGTHEY'RE REFUSING TODO.JON LL OPENWHILE AROUND TWO-THOUSAND OF THESTATE'S 56-HUNDREDINMATES ARECONSIDERED NON-VIOLENT GOVERNORRICKETTS SAYS MANYOF THEM ARE INPRISON FOR VERYSERIOUS OFFENSE.FRAKES SAYS PUBLICSAFETY IS ALSO HISNUMBER ONECONCERN...WORRIED THERECOULD BE MOREVICTIMS AND SAYINGTHE CONDITIONS ARENOT GOOD FOR SOMEINMATES TO BERELEASED."THIS IS NOT A GOODTIME TO BE COMINGOUT OF PRISON.I CAN OFFER CLIMATECONTROLLEDHOUSING, FOOD,CLOTHING,RECREATION ANDWORKOPPORTUNITIES,GOOD HEALTHCARE,PROGRAMMING, IN ARELATIVELY SAFESETTING,"FRAKESONE STAFF MEMBERAT THE NEBRASKASTATE PENITENTIARYHAS TESTEDPOSTIVIE.FRAKES SAYS HE'SBEEN AT HOME FOR 15DAYS.HE ALSO SAYS ZEROINMATES HAVETESTED POSITIVE FORTHE VIRUS, OR EVENSHOWN SYMPTOMS.BUT AS SOME STATESHAVE SHOWN, ITCOULD GET BAD.THAT'S WHY THESETWO MEN WEREPROTESTING OUTSIDETHE STATE PEN INLINCOLN THISAFTERNOON.PAUL FEILMANNWANTS TO MAKE SURETHE STATE HAS APLAN."IF THE VIRUS GETSINSIDE THERE ITCOULD BE A REALLYDANGEROUSSITUATION FOR THECOMMUNITY BECAUSEALL THE GUARDSHAVE TO LEAVEEVERYDAY AND THEYRUN THE RISK OFTAKING THE VIRUSBACK INTO THECOMMUNITY,"PAUL FEILMANN,PRISON ADVOCATEFRAKES SAYS ALLINMATES AREQUARANTINED FOR ATLEAST TWO WEEKSWHEN THEY ENTERTHE SYSTEM AND THEPRISONS HAVE THECAPACITY TOQUARANTINE INMATESIN CASE OF ANOUTBREAK.HE DECLINED TOLEASE SPECIFICSRYMUCH INFORMATION ISGIVEN TO INMATES,THERE COULD BE ABACKLASH."UNFORTUNATELYWILL READ MORE INTOTHEM, THEY'LL MAKEASSUMPTIONS ABOUTWHAT WE'RE SAYING,OR THEY MAY READ ITEXACTLY CORRECTLYAND REALIZE IT'SGOING TO IMPACTTHEM IN WAYS THATTHEY'RE NOT HAPPYABOUT."FRAKESOUTSIDE THE PEN,YOU CAN SEE SOMEINMATES WEARINGMASKS...OTHERSNOT...WITH MANYMUCH CLOSER TOEACH OTHER THANSIX FEET.FRAKES SAID IT'S ABALANCE.TRYING NOTTO GET TOO HEAVYHANDED WHILE ALSOMAKING SURE THEYKNOW THE DANGERSOF COVID-19." TRYING TO AVOIDUSING THEINFORMATION, THEEDUCATION, ASOPPOSED TO THEHAMMER OF WE'REGOING TO PUNISHYOU BECAUSE YOUWON'T DO THIS."FRAKESIN LINCOLN JONKIPPER 3NNVISITATIONS HAVEBEEN CANCELED FORAROUND ONE MONTH.IN EXCHANGE,PRISONERS HAVEBEEN GIVEN DOUBLETHE AMOUNT OF TIMETO MAKE PHONECALLS