Prosecutor To Authorities Use Discretion When Making Arrests

In an effort to prevent an outbreak of COVID-19 in the Yakima County jail or Yakima juvenile detention center Yakima County Prosecutor Joe Brusic is telling authorities to use discretion when making arrests. According to a news release from the Yakima County Prosecutors office Brusic says because of concerns over COVID-19 he wants only violent offenders and those who are a threat to public safety arrested and placed in the Yakima County jail. Those involved in domestic violence will also be arrested and placed in jail or juvenile jail.

Brusic is trying to help prevent an outbreak of the disease at the jail or in the juvenile jail. He says he's working with staff at the Department of Corrections to keep non-violent offenders out of custody. He says there's currently 706 inmates in the Yakima County jail and many are 65-years-old or older and many suffer from underlying health conditions like heart and lung disease, HIV or are pregnant.
The news release from Brusic says they're actively determining their status and working with defense counsel to assess whether they should remain in custody or be released. Brusic says right now, this covers and is true for the month of April.  However, it certainly may be a longer period of time that adjustments have to be made.