In an attempt to get out of jail, a group of prisoners in a California prison were caught on video trying to infect themselves with coronavirus. It’s hard to believe anyone would actually try to get sick, but these prisoners were hoping the coronavirus would be their ticket to early release.
As you may have heard, some prisons have been releasing prisoners in order to stop the spread of coronavirus in lockup. However, letting prisoners out is causing other serious problems.
In fact, a Florida man allegedly used his new-found freedom to commit murder the day after his release.
BACKSTORY: It Took Just One Day For This Inmate To Murder Someone After Being Released Over Coronavirus Fears
California Prisoners Scheme For Early Release
Surveillance video at the North County Correctional Facility in Castaic show inmates drinking from the same bottle of hot water. Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said the prisoners shared the same bottle for two reasons.
First, they were about to get their temperatures taken and were attempting to make it appear they have fevers.
And, second, sharing the same bottle increased their chances of passing the virus around and ultimately catching it.
California Prison Inmates Try To Spread Coronavirus
In another section of the prison, another group of inmates were caught sniffing out of the same face mask and drinking from the same cup. These criminals obviously aren’t the sharpest knives in the drawer.
L.A. Sheriff Alex Villanueva said:
“There was some mistaken belief among the inmate population that if they tested positive, there was a way to force our hand and somehow release more inmates out of our jail environment, and that’s not gonna happen.”
While some inmates are being released, they aren’t all getting out. And, getting coronavirus doesn’t mean they get a get out of jail free pass.
California Prisoners Test Positive For Coronavirus
“As a direct result of the behavior seen in the video, 21 men tested positive for COVID-19 within a week,” Sheriff Villanueva said.
“A gross misunderstanding among the inmate population led many to believe that those diagnosed with COVID-19 may be released, which is untrue.”
Inmates at a California correctional facility drank from the same cup with the purpose of infecting one another, resulting in 21 cases of coronavirus, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. https://t.co/nyMZlx3I9y pic.twitter.com/CpDiCBaMbA
— CNN (@CNN) May 12, 2020
Authorities are considering filing charges against anyone who intentionally attempts to spread coronavirus. So instead of early release, these prisoners might be forced to stay even longer because of their negligent behavior.
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The prisoners should be practicing social distancing but they aren’t doing this either. There was plenty of room for the men to stand at least 6 feet away from each other.
But, it’s clear from their behavior that they did not intend to follow the rules.
Villanueva added:
“There’s a reason why these people are behind bars to begin with, because they violated the norms of society. But to then imperil not only their only safety, but the safety of their fellow inmates who did not want to participate in this behavior. It also endangers all the personnel, both the professional staff and the sworn staff.”
Watch the surveillance video of these criminals here:
The Los Angeles County jail system has had more than 200 coronavirus cases. According to the sheriff’s office, no inmates have died from the disease.
As of this week, more than 4,500 inmates remain quarantined within the system.