Despite the presence of dozens of Coronavirus infections in the facility where he is incarcerated, Bill Cosby’s plea for early release has been rejected.
The 82-year-old comedian is currently serving a three to 10-year sentence at SCI Phoenix in Skippack, Pennsylvania, following his 2018 conviction for aggravated sexual assault.
Amid the global pandemic, numerous inmates have been granted early release or placed under home confinement.
Last Friday, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf announced a plan to temporarily release at-risk inmates to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus in prisons, leading to speculation about Cosby’s potential release.
However, the state’s Department of Corrections has dismissed the possibility of an early release for the actor, stating that “sex offenders are not eligible under the reprieve criteria.”
Bill Cosby’s spokesperson, Andrew Wyatt, has expressed concern about the actor’s well-being, citing his advanced age and deteriorating health as reasons to grant his release. Wyatt stated, “All elderly inmates like Mr. Cosby could succumb to this virus. It seems it’s more politically motivated and personally motivated to not let this man out. It’s very upsetting and disappointing.”
SCI Phoenix has reported 21 prisoners and 13 staff members testing positive for COVID-19, with one inmate succumbing to the virus. In a separate development, nine non-violent offenders from the same facility were recently released after testing negative for the virus.
Despite these concerns, Cosby’s team remains worried about his vulnerability to the virus while in prison. According to Wyatt, “I’m very concerned for Mr. Cosby’s health in prison during the coronavirus epidemic. The reason: Mr. Cosby is elderly and blind — and always needs to be escorted around the prison by support service inmates, known as Certified Peer Specialists (CPI).”
Bill Cosby was convicted of three counts of aggravated indecent assault in 2018, relating to an incident in 2004. Additionally, he has faced allegations of rape and sexual assault from more than 60 women.