Prince George jailhouse count declines by 30

Prince George Regional Correctional Centre saw a 30-inmate decrease over the course of April according to numbers provided by B.C. Corrections.

As of May 2, the jail's population stood at 114 as the intake of 58 new inmates during the preceding month was offset by 77 either being granted bail or completing their sentences, four gaining early releases from straight-time sentences and five granted temporary absences from sentences served on weekends.

Both the courts and the jails have been taking steps to reduced the number of inmates as the novel corona virus pandemic runs its course. For inmates found guilty of lesser crimes, sentences of time served plus probation have become common while there has been little sign of special treatment for those found guilty of more serious offences.

Candidates for early release must have community supports in place upon release, according to a B.C. Corrections fact sheet. Criminal history, sentence length, offence type and risk to public safety have also been part of the assessments.

New inmates are screened for symptoms of the virus and those who show them are isolated for 14 days, B.C. Corrections also said.

So far, just one inmate in a provincial jail, at Okanagan Correctional Centre near Oliver, has contracted the virus and he has since been listed as recovered.

In contrast, federally-run prisons have have a much worse go. As of Sunday, there were 19 active cases at Mission Institution. There has also been one death at the medium security facility.