This letter was written by a person incarcerated at CMC (California Men’s Colony).
Once this sickness hit, it no longer was isolated to free staff or CO. This virus was out of control. 60 guys at a time were showing signs, and from those people, it spread. We were on 24-hour lockdown which means we don’t come outside for any reason short of life or death.
No visits, phone calls, school, groups, church. There was nothing other than for the men to find reasons to wake up in the morning and stay productive, work out, study, read any thing you could get your hands on. It was very difficult.
The guys that had TVs in their rooms, watching the news all day, left most overwhelmed with nothing else to do but worry about that might be happening with our families. Everyone was feeling the effects, men need some comfort at some point.
After a while, I and a few others volunteered every minute we could to help with any program that could help the men of CMC. We started working to ensure that inmates were able to receive commissary delivered to their cells, which in prison is a major morale boost. And being denied just about everything else, I felt it was important to do what we could.
Another project I was able to do was gather donations for the inmates that are disabled, mentally or physically. We were able to send items we gather for the nursing staff to pick up and pass out. I’m very grateful to be allowed to take part in this program. I’ve become an ADA worker which means I’m able to help those men perform things that they may not be able to without assistance. So my time has been spent trying to help those around me and preparing for parole board.
Which is me summing up information from almost every self-help group I’ve taken and how I have changed my life since coming to prison.
