Letter to the Editor: Details in early-release legislation should ease concerns about safety

In response to a commentary from Rep. Ruth Briggs King, R-Georgetown, (“Early-release proposal sparks safety concern,” Feb. 19) regarding House Bill 37, I have the following observations.

While Rep. Briggs King showing concern regarding this bill is understandable, I feel it is unfounded. Her worry about releasing those incarcerated who would have already been released were it not for the yearlong pandemic that prevented them from earning good-time credits (a requirement for early release) is concern for an issue that, under normal circumstances, would have already occurred. In addition, those to be released are only prisoners who have less than a year left on their sentences.

Rep. Briggs King’s statement that other states have used “executive action” for early release simply means that the process is much easier — the only requirement being for the governor to sign documents, unlike the long, tedious and laborious process currently going on with Delaware’s General Assembly. In terms of “violent offenders” in Delaware, there are very few felonies that are not considered “violent” (see Title 11, Chapter 42, ss4201 of the Delaware Code). I also have faith in our Department of Correction to use judgment and discretion regarding the appropriateness of those released. Should we not?

There is absolute agreement that victims deserve justice. Those released with passage of HB 37 would have already been out of prison with good-time credit, if not for the pandemic. However, for the past year, instead of being released, they were locked in their cells for 22 hours a day as a way of social distancing due to the overcrowding in our prisons and the lack of personal protective equipment. I would say that being locked in a cell for 22 hours a day for almost a year, as family members of the incarcerated recounted during the public comment portion of a House Corrections Committee Zoom meeting, has certainly been a portion of the justice required for the victims. I support HB 37 as originally written.

Margaret Hawkins

Newark