The California prison system is making changes to help prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitations announced that they plan to release thousands of prisoners to help relieve the spread of the coronavirus. Up to 3,500 nonviolent inmates will be moved to parole. Those who are eligible for the early release must have less than 60 days remaining in their sentence and those who have less than 30 days are given priority. 

California prisons have already taken numerous proceedings to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Prisons have suspended visitations, ceased intake from county jails, and enforced temperature screenings among staff. The CDCR reported 22 of its employees and four inmates tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.

Officials state that this decision increases space within the facilities and helps practice better social distancing for both the prison staff and the inmates.

“We do not take these new measures lightly. Our first commitment at CDCR is ensuring safety — of our staff, of the incarcerated population, of others inside our institutions, and of the community at large,” CDCR Secretary Ralph Diaz said in a press release. “However, in the face of a global pandemic, we must consider the risk of COVID-19 infection as a grave threat to safety, too.”

New York state has taken similar precautions. As coronavirus cases in jails and prisons rose, Governor Andrew Cuomo ordered the release of more than 1,000 parole violators.