FILE - In this Friday, July 13, 2018 file photo, inmates pass the time within their cell block at the Twin Falls County Jail in Twin Falls, Idaho. In March 2020, the COVID-19 coronavirus and its lingering threat has become a potential “get out of jail card” for inmates who argue it’s not a matter of if but when the deadly illness sweeps through tightly packed populations behind bars. (Pat Sutphin/The Times-News via AP)
March 18, 2020
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Get out of jail? Inmates fearful of virus argue for release
NEW YORK (AP) — Coronavirus has become a “get out of jail" card for hundreds of low-level inmates across the country, and even hard-timers are seeking their freedom with the argument that it's not a matter of if but when the deadly illness sweeps through tightly packed populations behind bars.