The state's Supreme Court has ordered those serving jail time for violating probation or other low-level offenses -- such as shoplifting or disorderly persons charges -- to be temporarily released from county jails starting on Tuesday. 

The order solidifies negotiations between public defenders and prosecutors who were working to reduce the jail population in light of the rapid spread of COVID-19.

Amol Sinha, the executive director of the ACLU of New Jersey, said the order is a big deal and will save lives.

"This virus can spread really rapidly inside of a confined space with the density that a jail has," he said. 

The ACLU estimates the order could impact up to 1,000 people. It does not apply to immigrant detainees also housed inside county jails.