According to Sheriff Alex Villanueva of the North County Correctional Facility in Castaic, some inmates are purposefully trying to get the coronavirus under the mistaken belief they will be released from jail.

According to the Sheriff, the inmates are supposed to practise social distancing, but when prison officials checked their video, they found inmates drinking from the same water container and sharing a mask. He suspects they’re trying to catch the virus.

The sheriff added that inmates are also drinking hot water in order to elevate their temperature prior to testing for the Coronavirus.

Though the sheriff said that prisoners are not released if they come down with the virus, others from this correctional facility have been released because of the pandemic. READ: California sheriff says inmates tried to infect themselves

RELATED: While some states are releasing hardened criminals back into the communities over fears of catching the coronavirus while in jail, READ: Orange County DA ‘outraged’ after commissioner releases 7 dangerous sex offenders due to COVID-19 restrictions, other states are sending people to prison for violating coronavirus lockdown rules. READ: Texas Supreme Court orders Dallas salon owner released as Abbott bans jailing citizens for lockdown violations