With defendants accused of crimes now facing judges by video because of the coronavirus pandemic, the city’s court system no longer has a way of supervising the vast majority of suspects being released back into their communities.

Under the state’s new criminal justice laws, only those accused of violent felonies are still eligible for bail under the state’s new law. This means everyone else accused of misdemeanors and non violent felonies is released until their next court dates.

Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, the city’s Criminal Justice Agency screened all defendants to determine their risk of skipping court. Judges would then use those recommendations, plus input from prosecutors and defense attorneys, to determine whether to release the defendant with supervision. This typically consists of phone calls and in-person appearances with three supervised release programs that can also refer their clients to counseling and other vital services.

However, that system ground to a halt last week when defendants began appearing in court by video from holding areas. The court system doesn’t have the technical ability now for the Criminal Justice Agency to screen defendants remotely and provide release recommendations. Until that changes, all defendants except those accused of violent felonies are being released on their own recognizance.

The collapse of supervised release presents numerous challenges, according to those who work with defendants. Many of those awaiting trial have a history of mental health and substance abuse problems. They also tend to be low income and may have unstable housing.

Privately, some prosecutors expressed worry that it will be harder for defendants accused of charges ranging from assault to theft and drug crimes to stay out of trouble without the support of supervised release agencies. Police say arrests are down since the city went into shutdown. But arraignments are still happening with judges, prosecutors and defense attorneys all appearing from remote locations.

Defense attorneys are also worried, but from a different standpoint. Under the new bail law, defendants accused of violent felonies can be released with supervision instead of setting bail. But since judges can no longer do that, defense attorneys say more defendants are likely to be held on bail.

“Then we get into this double whammy where if a judge would have allowed somebody to do supervised release, [they] can’t do it anymore and so we are concerned that bail is being set,” said Yung-Mi Lee, a supervising attorney at Brooklyn Defender Services.

About 3,000 defendants who were arraigned before the COVID-19 pandemic are currently in supervised release, according to CJA. The three agencies that supervise them say they can’t meet in person but they’re continuing to stay in touch by phone and video chat. The agencies typically give cell phones to clients who don’t have them, and also have numbers to contact them if they’re staying with relatives or in homeless shelters.

Jonathan Monsalve, project director at Brooklyn Justice Initiative, acknowledged those with mental health issues and substance abuse problems will feel even more isolated by the city’s shutdown and in need of help. But he said his staffers are doing their best to help.

Monsalve referred to one client his caseworkers assisted last week. ”We were able to connect him with a detox and rehab facility” he said, adding that the individual was picked up from their shelter and taken to rehab.

“As early as this morning we were still having success in getting people to methadone clinics and mental health providers who were doing some in-person medication management for participants,” he added.

But there’s no sugar coating the very real challenges of monitoring vulnerable defendants in a pandemic. “The situation is changing daily and our staff are engaging every day with providers to understand new protocols or restrictions they may be enacting because of COVID-19,” said Monsalve.

Lee, of Brooklyn Defender Services, said there are obstacles. “We have lawyers here who had been working on getting people released into programs but now the programs aren’t taking them,” she said, referring to substance abuse and mental health services.

Meanwhile, the supervised release agencies are now helping a whole new population: inmates being released from the city jail system to halt the spread of COVID-19. According to the latest numbers from the city on Wednesday, 75 people in city custody have tested positive for COVID-19, out of a total population of approximately 5,400.

Mayor Bill de Blasio has said 300 nonviolent, elderly inmates would be released in addition to 75 released since Sunday. The mayor and district attorneys said they are focusing on people who are older, with underlying health problems and who are at very low risk of reoffending—but there are calls to release even more.

Courtney Bryan, executive director of the Center for Court Innovation, said caseworkers will supervise released inmates. “The clients are expected to check in with us daily by phone or, if possible, we’re working to do video conference check ins,” she said. The Center for Court Innovation provides supervised release programs in Brooklyn, the Bronx and Staten Island.

The former inmates—who are still technically in the custody of the Department of Correction—will remain on supervised release for the duration of their remaining sentences, which are all less than six months, according to the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice. Violating these terms could lead to a return to jail.

Bryan said the programs will also try to connect the newly-released inmates with emergency housing and other services, even if it’s only by phone or video.

“We’re trying to be responsive to what these clients need,” she said, while also helping the city during a crisis.

Beth Fertig is a senior reporter covering immigration, courts, and legal affairs at WNYC. You can follow her on Twitter at @bethfertig.