California will release up to 8,000 inmates early from state prisons to slow the spread of Covid-19 inside facilities, state authorities have said.

Several California prisons have suffered large coronavirus outbreaks and the state corrections department said inmates could be eligible for release by the end of August.

According to Reuters, the release marks the biggest move yet by California to “decompress” prison populations and reduce the risk of Covid-19 transmission by creating more space for social distancing and quarantines.

Prisoners with a year or less left to serve will be eligible for release. Among prisoners excluded from early release are those convicted of violent felonies and sex crimes, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said.