More than 1,100 state inmates getting early release under Inslee's emergency order



OLYMPIA, Wash. -- The state Department of Corrections has identified and released the names of more than 1,100 inmates set to be released early in an effort to fight the spread of coronavirus in state prisons.

Initially, Gov. Jay Inslee said his order would allow for up to 950 inmates to be released, but that number has since grown to 1,100-plus. Click here for a full list.

The inmates being released must have a permanent address and a Washington state ID, according to the DOC.

At least 14 Washington state Department of Corrections employees and eight inmates have tested positive for the new coronavirus, with the state’s largest outbreak happening at the Monroe Correctional Complex.

A group of Monroe inmates, represented by Columbia Legal Services, asked the Washington Supreme Court to order Inslee and Corrections Secretary Stephen Sinclair to release inmates who are 50 years or older, those who have underlying health conditions and offenders who are close to their release date.