releasing turtles to the wild

Question
Hello, I have four eastern painted turtles. They were "rescued" by a friends kid a few days after they hatched. They are a little over a year old now, and I have kept them in a large aquarium that is set up to resemble their wild habitat. All four seem to be quite tame and well behaved. I am moving soon, and can not take them with me. Can I release them safely or will they die in the wild? I really dont want to put them in danger, but I dont trust them with anyone else. Besides, I think they belong in the wild, without glass walls and all of that stuff. Any advice would be great. Thanks, Matt  

Answer
OK, the biggest concern is that the turtles are very possibly carrying some germs that they have built up a resistance to but the wild populations have not. There are a few other concerns as well, but they are not a big deal.

My advice is to release them somewhere near people, like a city park or a creek in town where you have seen turtles before. Being close to people gives the populations some resistance.