Families of inmates with chronic conditions call for early release due to COVID-19

The parents of 24-year-old Dazon Blackwell say they're terrified he'll end up contracting coronavirus and getting very sick due to his chronic health problems.

News 12 Staff

Apr 18, 2020, 4:47 PM

Updated 1,837 days ago

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A Bridgeport man whose son is an inmate with chronic health conditions is calling on the governor to grant him an early release from state prison.
The parents of 24-year-old Dazon Blackwell say they're terrified that if he stays in prison, he'll end up contracting coronavirus and getting very sick due to his chronic health problems.
Blackwell’s parents say he is at the tail end of a seven-year term for a non-violent offense and is set to be released from Robinson Correctional Institution in Enfield in two months.
According to Blackwell’s parents, he has chronic asthma and a bout with COVID-19 could threaten his life.
Other families who have loved ones in the same boat held a protest at the North Avenue Jail in Bridgeport this week. They're calling on state officials to let low-risk inmates, like Blackwell, go home early due to the threat posed by coronavirus. The American Civil Liberties Union is suing the state to release low-risk inmates early due to a dramatic increase in coronavirus cases inside Connecticut jails and prisons.