While the number of inmates being released from Rikers Island because of the threat of coronavirus is increasing, advocates and detainees have been waiting on the Cuomo administration to address another segment of the inmate population — people who are sitting in jail because they violated their state parole.

On Friday, the governor’s office said it would release about 400 people from jail in New York City who were sitting behind bars because of a parole violation.

The inmates the state was targeting for release, officials tell NY1, were low-level technical parole violators — someone who may have missed a parole meeting and ended up on Rikers Island. We are told they would release inmates who had a low-risk of re-offending. Their original crimes could not involve a weapon or a violent act. 

As of Wednesday morning, the city says 108 parolees have been released so far. The state claims the number is 141.

Outside of the numbers discrepancy, we are told there is a large group of parolees officials are trying to find appropriate housing for before they are released from city jails. It's unclear whether the state would resort to sending these parolees to homeless shelters.

The delay in their release has raised alarms from some advocates because the number of cases of the virus are increasing in city jails.

Here’s what Lorraine McEvilley, the director of the Parole Revocation Defense Unit at the Legal Aid Society, had to say:

“We welcomed the Governor’s announcement Friday concerning the release of over 600 New Yorkers held in custody on a technical parole violation - non criminal matters such as missing a check in or failing to report an address change. However, we are deeply frustrated and disturbed by the actual low number of releases thus far. DOCCS is simply not following through on its promise and this inaction could very well result in the loss of human life. Our clients and others held on these violations must be released now."