This story was told by a person incarcerated at Vacaville.
Caller: Yes, I’m at CMF, which is California Medical Facility, Vacaville. And I’m dealing with the COVID. I’m 59 years old, black man. And I’ve had prior asthma. I have all kind of medical things going on with me. And this is the worst medical facility that I’ve ever been to.
Dealing with any kind of medical concerns on the coast of California. I’ve been from Ironwood to here. And this is the worst place. Medical – I’ve just got seen, I’m in chronic care, and I just got seen by my doctor yesterday after a six-month wait trying to see her. And they’re using the COVID as an excuse to … Well for me, they’re using COVID. Because I’ve seen other individuals that was down there waiting for me as I got rejected seven to eight different times and being rescheduled.
I’ve seen other individuals that was there two or three times with me go see their doctor and take care of their problem while I was still suffering in my needs. But we don’t get no sanitizer on a regular basis. The last time I think we’ve been able to have sanitizer to wash our hands with, clean our hands with, was about four, about three and a half months ago. We have masks. They give us masks.
But you have to wash them and clean them. They only supply you with bar soap, so I don’t know if that’s really sufficient to really take care of any kind of viruses that may be on your mask. As far as the visits go, I seldom get visits, but I notice that other people, they’re going through it not being to see their families.
And I’m in a unit to where there’s not that many men, but we … We’re keeping the capacity eight, the capacity in the dayrooms is like eight people. As far as the close contact, following the rules of the six feet. And other that I mean you have some COs and they want to take their masks off like they’re above the law. And usually some speaks on it or I’ll speak on it.
And it hasn’t been that much of a problem. But you do have a situation where it does arise. As far as the men go, we pretty much keep each other in check about wearing masks because we realize that this, I realize that this is a serious matter considering I used to be a peer educator. But I’m living and trying to stay safe. And trying to see the next day.
Which I know is not promised, considering that all that’s going on out there. But as far as the virus go, it hasn’t spread it that tough up here. I mean I heard that maybe 16, 18, 20 people have contracted it. But they have them on a different floor in a whole different unit pretty much away from everybody and they’re on lockdown status, quarantined if you put it.
Like I said, trying to stay safe and do the right thing. And hopefully we’ll get over this and get by this virus situation soon with the vaccines that’s coming out. Hopefully it’ll be better. That’s pretty much all I have to say. Like I said, we’re – I’m at CMF and I thank you.
