REMARKS
Explanation of compassionate release in jail context
2:17:37
·
66 sec
Jeanette Merrill, Director of Communications and Intergovernmental Affairs for NYC Health And Hospitals Correctional Health Services, explains the concept of compassionate release as it applies to the jail context.
- Compassionate release is typically associated with sentenced individuals in prisons, not pretrial detainees in jails
- For pretrial detainees, release decisions are made by judges and defense counsel
- Judges don't typically provide a rationale for release, such as medical reasons
- Correctional Health Services advocates for patients with serious medical needs by providing clinical condition letters for attorneys to use in court
Jeanette Merrill
2:17:37
Maybe we can start briefly on compassionate release.
2:17:40
So I think the term is globally used but it's really specific to prison generally.
2:17:45
It's sentenced to individuals.
2:17:47
They may be released on compassionate grounds.
2:17:50
For our purposes, where most people in custody are there, you know, pretrial.
2:17:56
It's really a conversation that's happening, but screen judges and defense counsel.
2:18:02
And as mentioned in Doctor.
2:18:04
Spidey's testimony, judges aren't necessarily giving a rationale for why a person would be released.
2:18:09
It would just be ROR.
2:18:11
They're not indicating that it is you know, for medical reasons.
2:18:15
That's not to say that we don't advocate for patients who have serious medical complex needs.
2:18:20
We do rate clinical condition letters for attorneys that they can use when advocating with the judges.
2:18:26
But in terms of, you know, a for port for why someone was released on medical grounds.
2:18:32
Neither agency would have that information.
Carlina Rivera
2:18:36
Okay.
2:18:36
Thank you.
2:18:36
I I realized some things are related to prison, but clearly we should make everything relevant to the agencies within which we work.
2:18:42
So thank you.
2:18:42
Good
