The left never lets a crisis go to waste, and the COVID-19 pandemic is no exception. State officials claim that arrestees may potentially bring the virus into the facility, and due to the close quarters, it will spread quickly. Democrat politicians tell the public that the inmates must be released from jail immediately for their safety. The left ignores one crucial aspect: the safety of the general public. Officials downplay the type of people who are released. But their words are not believable since they are ordering police to arrest citizens, bringing them into jail over disobeying tyrannical edicts issued by governors drunk on power.
Democrats claim that they are more compassionate than the Republicans. Left-wing policies roll over into the criminal justice system as well, which is saddening as justice is supposed to be blind, not partisan. Democrats claim that some prisoners must be released from jail, stating that inmates are in danger of contracting COVID-19. Governors opened prison cell doors with no consideration of the ramifications that occur when releasing a flood of hardened criminals back into society.
Their decision was based purely on liberalism, not public health. The idea that letting violent criminals back into the streets is not only asinine but reckless, thoughtless, ignorant, and dangerous at best. These people serving prison sentences are there for a reason. Releasing offenders, so they do not catch a virus is beyond words.
New York Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo is one of the spearheading governors in this movement. He allowed the release of felons from one of New York's most violent and dangerous prisons, Rikers Island. Inmate Robert Pondexter was released from jail after being held on rape charges due to COVID-19. Pondexter did not go into the general public and show his gratitude. Instead, while walking down a sidewalk, he grabbed a female and drug her into a school parking lot. Pondexter forced the victim to perform explicit sexual acts then demanded that she remove her clothing. She kicked her assailant and was able to escape. The only thing accomplished with Pondexter's release is that the victim has to live with being sexually assaulted for the rest of her life when it could have been completely avoided.
Cuomo cannot tell the future, but common sense and logic should be the guiding light, understanding that horrific assaults and violent crimes are the consequence. Instead, government officials rule by feelings and the idea that "we must do something," which is generally dangerous.
Governors say "if it saves one life, it is worth it" when referring to the lockdown and social distancing guidelines. Why will they not apply this to dangerous inmates? It is hard to imagine that releasing criminals who typically are in close quarters using drugs or violently attacking individuals will slow down the spread? Is it worth the well-being of law-abiding, hard-working, tax-paying citizens? Does their physical safety not matter? Democrat's policies say that the ones who are locked away from society are more important than regular citizens.
Cuomo claims that New York is a leader under his governance. There is no nobility in allowing violent crime to skyrocket. It is not respectable to play theatre with ventilators. Cuomo is not leading the state of New York. He allowed felons out of prison that reoffended and created more problems for residents.
As testing occurs in prison systems, we see there is no justification for releasing dangerous offenders early. In Ohio, 2,300 out of 2,500 prisoners received the test. Almost 95 percent who tested positive were asymptomatic. Between Arkansas, North Carolina, Ohio, and Virginia prison systems, 96 percent of 3,277 inmates tested positive but did not exhibit any symptoms when infected. The virus is not affecting prisoners any more than free citizens according to this data.
Where is the justification for releasing felons "for their safety" who have not satisfied their sentences back into society? The answer is simple: there is not a reason.
There are not enormities in prisoner deaths due to the coronavirus. If anything, we see they are less affected by the illness.
Crime will continue to skyrocket as long as Democratic governors allow more and more prisoners out of incarceration. However, it does not appear that Cuomo or others care as they continue to push leftist agenda goals during the illness outbreak.
There is no justification for releasing hardened criminals while arresting citizens who are exercising their First Amendment right of peaceful assembly for the same reason of COVID-19. It is unjustifiable and tyrannical.
John Dempsey is a graduate of American Military University and has a deep understanding of law enforcement issues and how they relate to the Constitution, society and our culture. He’s been published in BearingArms.com and AmericanThinker.com. He can be followed on Twitter @John_Demp83.