HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Gov. Tom Wolf has authorized the early release of as many as 1,800 inmates from PA state prisons in an effort to minimize the spread of the coronavirus.

The governor’s office said Friday that releases to halfway houses or home confinement could start as early as Tuesday.

The plan is similar to what other states and some Pennsylvania counties have undertaken. It allows the release of inmates serving time for nonviolent offenses who are within nine months of scheduled release, or within 12 months for those considered at heightened risk from the virus.

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