Why Gov. Cooper needs to release more NC inmates. Now.

10,839. That’s the number of inmates who have tested positive for COVID-19 in North Carolina throughout the pandemic thus far — over 35%.

And even today with widespread access to the vaccine, the case rate for state prisoners is still nearly four times that of the general public.

We probably shouldn’t be surprised. It’s well known that COVID spreads faster indoors when individuals are in close proximity to each other. And it’s nearly impossible to physically distance or access good sanitary practices while locked up. In this ideal environment for an airborne infectious disease, it’s no wonder inmates in large urban jails were spreading the virus to more than eight other people. This is nearly four times faster than on the infamous Princess Diamond cruise ship, or even in Wuhan itself.

The solution to this massive health risk? Fewer inmates.

And before you grow concerned about what that might mean for public safety, let me reassure you with some facts:

1.) Experts have demonstrated that incarceration becomes less effective the more it is used.

2.) Since the 1990s, increased incarceration has been found to have essentially zero effect on crime.

3.) Large states like California, New York and Texas have seen falling crime rates over the past few decades, despite reducing their prison populations.

If this is true, why are nearly 1 in 100 American adults behind bars? Why is North Carolina spending over $37,000 per year on every inmate? Reducing the number of people imprisoned in our state saves money and lives.

In response to the pandemic, states across the country have taken steps to reduce their prison populations, including releasing inmates detained for traffic violations or technical violations, commuting sentences for older or medically vulnerable inmates, expanding good time credits, and releasing inmates into home confinement.

And yes, North Carolina has taken some steps to release prisoners in the face of COVID-19. Some readers may remember headlines back in March announcing the release of 3,500 incarcerated individuals across the state. This was spurred by a lawsuit brought forth by the NAACP, which deemed the living conditions of state prisons during the pandemic unconstitutional.

Despite this, North Carolina is still one of the many states awarded an “F” by the Prison Policy Initiative for its response to the pandemic behind bars. As of Sept. 1, North Carolina has reduced its prison population by 16%, but has not implemented one of the simplest methods of doing so — suspending incarceration for technical violations of probation and parole, both of which are not crimes.

Beyond keeping people locked up in tight quarters, North Carolina is also failing its prisoners in other ways by not providing hygiene products or free phone and video calls, or suspending medical co-pays, all of which many other states have done.

With an incarceration rate of 617 per 100,000 people, North Carolina locks up a higher percentage of its population than almost any democracy on earth. This, in itself, is an epidemic. Combined with COVID-19, this is a crisis for our state. It is time for Gov. Roy Cooper to step in and speak up for our incarcerated population.

Reducing prison occupancy is the most effective way of stopping the spread of the pandemic throughout our prisons and surrounding communities and keeping our residents safe.