Tekashi 6ix9ine has been granted early release from federal prison. The judge found that his history of asthma put made him at increased risk of severe medical problems if he were to contract Covid-19 in jail.
The 23-year Brooklyn-born rapper, real name Daniel Hernandez, was initially set to get out of jail around early August. Now he’ll serve the remainder of his 24-month sentence in home confinement.
U.S. District Court Judge Paul Engelmayer determined that the circumstances in the case were extraordinary and compelling. “The COVID-19 pandemic is extraordinary and unprecedented in modern times in this nation. It presents a clear and present danger to free society for reasons that need no elaboration,” he wrote in his order. “COVID-19 presents a heightened risk for incarcerated defendants like Mr. Hernandez with respiratory ailments such as asthma.”
The same is true of incarcerated people across the United States, with officials citing short staffing and a lack of proper protective equipment. According to ABC, at least 29 inmates and 30 staff members have tested positive for the disease in federal prisons across the country, and four inmates have died at FCI Oakdale in Louisiana.