Governor Hutchinson today gave his daily update on COVID-19 cases in Arkansas announcing 1781 total positive cases with 88 hospitalized and 2 additional death bringing the death toll to 40. A total of 55- test were preformed in the last 24 hours according to the governor.
The Governor then turned his focus on the Cummins prison facility and the Arkansas Department of Corrections. The Governor state’s there are 348 positive cases involving 8 of the 15 barracks in the facility. A total of 1400 inmates have been tested, all the results are not back from the lab. Also these figures are NOT included with the general public statistics released by the ADH daily.
The Governor said he is in discussions with the Arkansas Parole Board to possibly give early release to some 1200 non-violent, non-sex offender inmates who have 6 months or less on their sentences. This move is to relieve population within the states prison system during the COVID-19 pandemic.