The Legal Aid Society filed suit Wednesday against Administration for Children’s Services Commissioner David Hansell, calling for the immediate release of at least 10 young people, ages 13 to 17, being held as juvenile delinquents, as reported by THE CITY. New York’s detention facilities are struggling to deal with the deteriorating health situation brought about by the threat of COVID-19.

“​Jails, prisons, and ​other detention centers are not designed to manage infectious disease, we anticipate COVID-19 will spread rapidly and infect many more individuals in the coming days,” said Dawne Mitchell, Attorney-in-Charge of the Juvenile Defense Practice at the Legal Aid Society.