Scott County officials say that a recent release of 50 inmates was necessary to create safe isolation procedure.
Deputy Chief Bryce Schmidt told News8 that the jail released about 50 inmates to free up space due to the jail being at maximum capacity, as well as getting higher-risk inmates out of the cells.
Inmates were released based on several criteria, including age, medical conditions, severity of charges, and how much sentence has been served.
"We have reached our goal releasing enough inmates that we are comfortable with for social distancing and isolation if needed. We will continue to monitor inmates as we go forward, but as for the remaining 220 inmates in our Jail as of today, we feel need to remain in our custody for the safety of the public," Schmidt said.