In prisons and jails throughout the country, incarcerated people are sitting ducks when it comes to the dangers of COVID-19.

Hundreds of thousands of people are stuck in places where social distancing is impossible, and where they may not have access to hand sanitizer or masks. They aren’t able to take the same steps the rest of us can to protect against coronavirus, and have to rely on state and local officials to protect their health.

While some states have yet to act, Washington has taken a good first step in identifying inmates who can be released without risking the public’s safety. Governor Inslee’s common-sense steps will reduce the population in state prisons while ensuring the safety of residents in communities where justice-involved individuals return.

Releasing people from prison early must be balanced with the public safety of communities. The Washington Department of Corrections reviewed all candidates for release and prioritized people meeting certain criteria. They identified people who were convicted of non-violent offenses, were already set to be released within less than a year, and who had exhibited good behavior while they were in prison. Many of them have underlying health conditions, putting them at high risk of infection and serious illness if they were kept in prison.

These steps not only protect the health of the people who are released, they also protect all of us. COVID-19 does not stop at the prison walls. Infections inside prison affect corrections staff and medical workers, and can spread to their families and communities.

And Gov. Inslee is not alone – he is in line with other state leaders, taking a bipartisan approach to keeping public safety employees and incarcerated people safe.

In Ohio, Republican Gov. Mike DeWine has recommended the release of over 400 incarcerated people over the past week. And his fellow Republican in Oklahoma, Gov. Kevin Stitt, also commuted the sentences of over 450 individuals in recent days. In Kentucky, Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear is commuting the sentences of almost 1,000 people serving time for non-violent offenses who are medically vulnerable or close to their release date. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, also a Democrat, ordered medical furloughs for some incarcerated people aged 60 or older or those who are at high risk of infection.

Gov. Inslee also took proactive steps to include victims in decisions around release, ensuring that they can share their perspective. Law enforcement and prosecuting attorneys can weigh in as well. These and other similar steps that will follow show a commitment to protecting public health AND public safety.

In these challenging times, it can be difficult to think beyond immediate needs of the family and friends around us. But we can’t forget about some of the most vulnerable of us. Incarcerated people and the correctional officers and medical staff who work to keep everyone safe deserve protection and the opportunity to avoid unnecessary risk for this deadly pandemic.

These targeted supervised releases and commutations will make Washington safer for everyone and help serve as an example for other states dealing with the many challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Washington has shown other states how to “flatten the curve” and reduce transmission and infection for the state as a whole. Now it’s showing how to do the same in our jails and prisons.

Ed Chung is a former federal and state prosecutor and currently the vice president for criminal justice reform at the Center for American Progress.​

Brett L. Tolman is a former U.S attorney for Utah. He is the founder of The Tolman Group, which focuses on public policy and government reform.