HAMILTON COUNTY, Ohio - Hundreds of inmates across the state are being released from jail early because of the pandemic. In Hamilton County, many are coming out homeless and hungry.
- Inmates being released early from jail to prevent Coronavirus spread in jail
- Former inmates struggling to find housing
- Agencies that help are closed, limited in ways they can help
David Compton was in jail for the last three months on drug charges.
“I was abusing drugs and everything anything in the world you could imagine,” said Compton.
He was supposed to serve another few months but was just released last week, but he says when he got out, he walked into the middle of a pandemic with nowhere to turn.
“The first two nights I walked around for 48 hours straight trying to get a phone to get a hold of anybody,” said Compton, “I can’t find a place to go because the homeless shelters aren’t taking anybody who hasn’t already been there, I can’t find a job because I don’t have any clean clothes, I don’t have anywhere to go get any because I don’t have any money,” said Compton.
He’s not alone. Close to 600 non-violent inmates have been released from the Hamilton County Jail in the last few weeks.
“This reduction of inmate population will give us more options if the virus spreads inside the facility,” said Hamilton County Sheriff Jim Neil in a press conference.
So far, the sheriff says no inmates have symptoms of the virus, and they’re not releasing anyone who is sick. However, those that are being released early are coming out homeless and hungry —something Trina Jackson normally helps with from inside the jail.
“The providers are no longer coming into the jail, our office now, is no longer able to come to the jail, so that’s a huge challenge,” said Office of Re-entry Director Trina Jackson.
She’s trying to run the office of re-entry from home. It’s an office that helps inmates find housing and food, etc. before they get out.
“With these people being released early, that need is increasing for support, and our office is able to do that if they call our office, but it’s not the way it used to be,” said Jackson.
Her office is currently trying to help David Compton find housing and food, something he says he hopes happens before something gets worse.
“There is no choice, well there is a choice, you’re gonna starve to death or to go back to doing what you were doing, and I’m not trying to do that,” said Compton.