Wisconsin Supreme Court rejects prisoner release request

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin Supreme Court has rejected a lawsuit seeking the release of inmates from state prisons as a way to reduce the risk of them contracting the coronavirus.

The court on Friday declined to take up a lawsuit filed earlier this month by the American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin on behalf of two inmates with preexisting conditions.

The court, in an unsigned order, noted steps taken by the state Department of Corrections to mitigate risks to inmates.

The court said it was not within its powers to assign someone to determine which inmates should be released, as the lawsuit sought.