Virus threat pushes jail head, prosecutors to release inmates at Middle River Regional Jail

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VERONA - Middle River Regional Jail in Verona has started releasing some non-violent offenders in an effort to reduce the jail population as the coronavirus threat continues to grow.

"Right now we're so crowded that we don't have any capacity to move people around to segregate some offenders," said Middle River Regional Jail Superintendent Jeff Newton. 

As it stands, the superintendent said if four or five inmates were to get the coronavirus "then we'd have a real problem with keeping them separate from everybody else."

Newton said Middle River Regional Jail is rated for 396 inmates. When he left the jail Wednesday night, he said there were 889 people incarcerated.

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Following a nudge last week from the Staunton Public Defender's Office to release some inmates, Newton said a handful were let out Tuesday. But with prosecutors in Waynesboro, Staunton, Augusta County, Rockingham County and Harrisonburg reviewing their case files, those numbers will grow.

"I've tendered multiple orders today," Waynesboro Commonwealth's Attorney David Ledbetter said Wednesday.

The prosecutor said the elderly, those with compromised immune systems, medical issues, inmates on work release and others on community work crews are being looked at first.

"The primary factor is non-violent," he said. "We're not looking to release violent felons back into the community."

Ledbetter said the collaborative effort between numerous prosecutors, the jail, the public defenders and the judiciary is taking place in hopes of reducing the jail population by anywhere from 75 to 125 inmates, which will give the jail some latitude in battling the coronavirus if it gets into the facility.

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"They can begin to segregate the jail and provide isolation for folks that are infected with the virus and keep them away from folks that are uninfected," Ledbetter noted.

The prosecutor said any jail inmate his office has put behind bars that isn't considered a threat to the community and could be vulnerable to the virus will get a release recommendation.

Inmates that are within 30 days of completing their sentence will be considered for having served their entire sentence, the prosecutor said. Inmates within 30 to 90 days of completing their sentence will be considered for a furlough until June 1, when they must return to the jail to finish their sentence.

Inmates outside of those parameters who could be considered at-risk for contracting the coronavirus will be reviewed and could potentially be released with a bond. Others could be placed on home-electronic monitoring, also known as house arrest.

Augusta County Commonwealth's Attorney Tim Martin said he's approaching potential releases on a case-by-case basis.

"We want to protect the inmates, we do, but more importantly we want to protect the public at-large," Martin said. "We've got 900 guys in there; we have 75,000 in the county. I want to see to it that the 75,000 are particularly looked after by not allowing an uncontrolled outbreak in a contained place."

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