In a 5-4 decision handed down April 23, the Washington State Supreme Court rejected arguments to protect local prisoners from the coronavirus by releasing them.
The suit, brought by Columbia Legal Services, would have reduced the prison population by thousands. However, the justices ruled that the organization had not shown that the Department of Corrections wasn’t taking sufficient steps to care for incarcerated people.
Nick Straley, the attorney representing the plaintiffs, said that he was disappointed in the court’s decision. ...