Brendan J. Lyons is reporting for the Times Union state corrections officials announced this week they will begin releasing incarcerated women who are pregnant or postpartum, if they have not committed a violent felony or sex offense and are within six months of release. "The department will conduct an individualized review and re-entry plan for each eligible person to ensure suitable housing and health care for these expectant and current mothers, as well as their children," the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision said in a statement. The DOCCS decision came after 40 New York legislators signed a letter to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo urging him and top state corrections officials to improve conditions in prisons and release those whose poor health could put them at risk if they contract COVID-19. DOCCS on April 30 said that 211 of more than 41,100 incarcerated people are currently positive for the disease, and there have been 10 fatalities. More than 1,000 of the department's 29,000 employees have tested positive, and two have died, the agency reported. Read the full story in the Times Union.