In what could be considered a pre-emptive victory for those traveling to Pittsburgh to confront the G20, police officials have felt it necessary to release up to 200 prisoners from local jails preceding the protests and the arrests they may produce. Any time that anarchists and other seeking prison abolition can force the state to release prisoners, it’s definitely a positive and surprising outcome, whether the results are intentional or not.
Of course, the state’s logic is that they are just making room for 200 additional people to enter the clutches of the state’s judicial system…
From Pittsburgh corporate news:
Channel 4 Action News has confirmed that a select number of nonviolent inmates will be released from the Allegheny County Jail in order to make room for possible arrests during the G-20 economic summit.
The Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas is looking at inmates who are nearing their parole or whose bails may have been set too high, said Allegheny County Director of Communications Kevin Evanto.
The number of inmates released will be between 100 and 200, Evanto said.
There is no word when the bulk of the releases are set to begin.