(AP) — Eleven inmates at the Hilo jail have asked a judge to release them early for public health reasons amid a COVID-19 outbreak. The Hawaii Tribune-Herald reports Hilo Circuit Judge Peter Kubota granted five of the motions but denied or postponed the rest. Most of the cases he denied were for offenders who had repeatedly violated probation in the past. About 200 inmates at the Hawaiʻi Community Correctional Center have tested positive for COVID-19 since May 24. There were seven active cases among staff. The coronavirus outbreak occurred as the jail struggled with overcrowding. The jail population exceeds operational capacity by more than 100 inmates.

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