Advocacy groups, former inmates and some family members of those currently incarcerated in Ohio's facilities urged Ohio Governor Mike DeWine to release additional prisoners during a teleconference Monday morning.

This came before the state announced the latest number of cases in Ohio prisons.

Officials said later on Monday the number of coronavirus infections in Ohio’s prisons has topped 260 and the first inmate has died.

The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction reports 119 staff members and 146 inmates have tested positive.

Piet van Lier, a researcher for Policy Matters Ohio, along with Gary Daniels, Chief Lobbyist for American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Ohio, Kenza Kamal, policy director for Juvenile Justice Coalition, Carter Stewart, with The Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP), a nonprofit organization of police, prosecutors, judges, and other criminal justice professionals who use their expertise to advance improve public safety and Blyth Barnow, a Harm Reduction Manager and preacher with Faith in Public Life, all encouraged DeWine to release non-violent, lower-tier inmates from Ohio's prison system.

According to van Lier on Monday morning, 67 inmates had currently tested positive within the 27 state prisons for adults and three facilities for juveniles. He also stated that there are 89 inmates currently isolated because of COVID-19 potential exposure. 

"A prison sentence shouldn't be a death sentence," van Lier said.

While the groups called for the Ohio governor to be proactive and follow Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf's lead, who on April 10 ordered the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections to establish a temporary program to reprieve sentences of incarceration to help transfer qualifying individuals to community corrections facilities or home confinement amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Pennsylvania program applies to state prison inmates identified as non-violent and would be eligible for release within the next 9 months or who are considered at high risk for complications of coronavirus. Under the temporary reprieve program, approximately 1,500 to 1,800 inmates are eligible, although, given the reentry challenges of housing and food security, the number is likely to be less.

In Ohio, DeWine said he may release around 200 inmates early in an attempt to slow the spread of coronavirus in state prisons.

Von Lier noted that 100 state correction workers have also tested positive for the virus, and do not have masks or proper tools to properly protect themselves from the virus.

Daniels from ACLU Ohio said a human rights crisis is unfolding in our prisons, halfway houses, immigration centers, and other public facilities, which includes not only the inmates but the staff as well.

He urged the governor to release nearly half of those incarcerated, stating the governor hade used his powers to close all nonessential businesses, restrict travel and should do the same to help the state-run penitentiaries. Daniels said the state-run facilities have been 10,000 inmates over capacity for the last 10 years.

"We are not talking about throwing the doors open,” Daniels said. "The release would need to be through a safe reentry program," he added.

Van Lier added saying the notion that inmates are safer in prison is not true.

Kevin Ballou, a former inmate at the Marion Correctional Institution in Marion, OH., said he had spoken recently with two friends that are still inside the facility, who said that the state-run facilities are not equipped to handle this type of outbreak, noting the facilities can't properly test or keep the recommended safe distance to prevent the spread.

Kamal, policy director for Juvenile Justice Coalition, said the DeWine was able to close the schools throughout the state, and now needs to do the same for children in the juvenile justice system. She suggested the governor should send home all children in the system and waive all penalties.

She noted that almost no testing is taking place in the facilities, which is a major concern.

Daniels noted we should proceed under the assumption that all facilities have been exposed to COVID-19. He added leaving thousands in prison is not an option, but all involved will have a creative response to the unprecedented situation.

Barnow, as the religious voice for the group, stated the no one can know the outcome in advance, but that she has faith in the people of Ohio and that all involved will figure it out as it goes along, as the governor did with the closing of non-essential businesses.