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Lock 'em up or let 'em out? Coronavirus prompts wave of prisoner releases

Inmates of San Vittore Prison take part in a revolt after family visits were suspended due to fears over coronavirus contagion, in Milan, Italy March 9, 2020. [Reuters]

The rapid spread of coronavirus is piling pressure on criminal justice systems globally and has led to a flood of prisoner releases, with the United States, Canada and Germany joining Iran in releasing thousands of detainees.

Germany’s most populous state, North-Rhine Westphalia, announced on Wednesday it would release 1,000 prisoners who are close to the end of their sentences, with sex offenders and violent inmates excluded from the list.

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