Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood announced on Tuesday a dozen cases of COVID-19 among staff and inmates in the county jail. That’s why the county is now releasing some inmates without bail.
Sheriff Youngblood announced on Facebook the judicial council is requiring the release of some inmates with low level misdemeanors and felonies, with no bail.
“We’re working with the district attorney Cynthia Zimmer going through each and every one seeing who we have to release and who we don’t,” Sheriff Youngblood said.
This includes people who haven’t been to trial yet. But Sheriff Youngblood says that number should remain small.
“We have experienced approximately 10 employees in the organization who have tested positive,” he said. “We have two inmates in our facility who have tested positive. They are being isolated."
But with many pending cases, Youngblood says that number could change.
