COLUMBUS, Ohio —“I told you on Monday that one inmate with COVID-19 died at the Pickaway Correctional institution. Sadly, we now have two more inmates who have died at that facility as probable cause of COVID-19,” said Ohio Governor Mike DeWine.

As the number of confirmed and expected cases rise throughout the confines of our state and federal prison system, Governor Mike DeWine is looking to make more room for social distancing.

“Earlier today, I approved the early release of 105 inmates under that section of the Ohio Revised Code. They are people who qualified for early release because they had only 90 days or less until they were released anyway,” DeWine said.

DeWine says the inmates up for commutation fit a criteria agreed upon by judges — meaning they are non-violent offenders who don’t have outstanding warrants and are not wanted in other states.

It’s one of many strategies the judicial system is implementing to protect both prisoners and guards alike.

“We have seen our population in prison drop by 311 inmates. We want to thank the local judges for the actions that they’re taking. This has resulted in a drastic reduction in the number of inmates being sent to our state prisons and does allow us more room for the social distancing. We would expect those numbers to continue. Within the last three weeks, that total number or population has gone down by about 500, and that is independent of those individuals that I just announced were being released,” said DeWine.

The governor reiterated today that every inmate released from now until the end of this pandemic will be tested for COVID-19 upon release to try and stop future community spread once they are on the outside.