COVID-19 cases at Harris County Jail continue to rise and so do concerns
HOUSTON - The number of Harris County Jail employees diagnosed with coronavirus COVID-19 continues to rise, while hundreds of inmates are in quarantine.
Most Harris County law enforcement officials agree the spread of COVID-19 in the Harris County Jail could be catastrophic.
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"Compassionate releases are appropriate when people pose no significant public safety risk to the publication," said Harris County DA Kim Ogg.
"I already almost lost him once I'm not about to lose my child again," said LaKendra Denton. Denton's 19-year old son J'ques Minor is in the Harris County Jail for two non-violent charges.
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He was shot in 2018 has only one lung.
"It's putting my health at risk right now," Minor said over the phone from the Harris County Jail. "We wear masks when we leave our tank but when we are in our cells people don't wear the masks."
"If he ends up getting the virus my son has a slim to none chance of making it," Denmon said.
Denton says she was told her son was going to be released last Friday under the County Judge's compassionate release order.
But another judge's ruling halted that.
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According to the sheriffs office, only 12 inmates were released before they were ordered to stop.
Federal Judge Lee Rosenthal had a conference call Tuesday with all the parties involved in the order to release inmates.
One of the attorneys present said there are currently 4,000 non-violent inmates who are in the jail because they can't afford bond.