BOISE, Idaho (CBS2) — Law enforcement agencies in Ada County have made changes to lower the jail population during the COVID-19 pandemic, including limiting arrests.
The Ada County Sheriff's Office said agencies have limited arrests since mid-March to help reduce the jail population.
Instead of booking offenders, officers concentrate on issuing citations or doing whats called a "write and route." This is where a report is sent to the prosecutor for later review. This is done for people who commit non-violent crimes.
The jail has averaged 27 bookings a day between January and April this year. Last year, the jail averaged 43 people a day in the same time frame.
The Ada County Jail has yet to have a confirmed case. On March 17, the jail population was 1054. On Tuesday, the population was down to 784.
"Our staff is also acutely aware of the threat the COVID-19 coronavirus in our jail," ACSO wrote in a Facebook post. "Our Health Services Unit has a comprehensive monitoring and treatment plan for inmates."
With the Ada County Courthouse closed to the public, the vast majority of court hearings are being conducted over video at the jail to limit potential spread.
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