The Bureau of Prisons (BOP) is facing emergency conditions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, US Attorney General William Barr announced on Friday. This allows the BOP to release more federal inmates into home confinement.
Prisoners at facilities where major coronavirus outbreaks have occurred will be prioritised, Barr added.
Earlier on Tuesday, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that city authorities had released as many as 900 inmates from prison and will continue to free more prisoners in a bid to stop the COVID-19 spread.
The total number of COVID-19 infections in the US has reached 276,955, with at least 7,406 fatalities.