This letter was written by a person incarcerated at Orange County Central Men’s Jail.
Dear PrisonPandemic,
I hope when you get this letter you are doing good and all you loved ones. What has it been like to be inside during this time at the beginning of the pandemic? Well I got lockdown on March 11 for the first time and it’s a nightmare, it’s depressive and frustrated.
How have you felt about your safety inside? Well it’s terrible you don’t know the people not everyone its friendly, hard to get sleep. On May I got COVID-19, they didn’t give me nothing, all I did drink warm water and some Tylenol pill and warm soups.
What has it been like to have reduced visitation from family and loved ones? Well it’s been sad because on August, I lost my mother of COVID-19. I never got to see her ever, not even attend her funeral. It’s the worst pain losing the woman that gave you birth, the most important woman in life.
I just got my first visit on April, my little sister, niece and oldest son came to see me it was sad. My ex-wife came to see me with my two babies three year one and six month. My wife divorce me, well she left home December 2020, but she brought my two babies.
It was sad seen my babies throw a glass. I got emotional my baby boy try to give me his hands try to hug me. It’s sad.
How have you been coping with this crisis? Well I been staying strong doing little reading, art, and working out just so I don’t get depressed. Been in a two men cell 21 hours and getting three hour of dayroom and sack lunch, lunch and dinner all this time.
How have the vaccinations been going at your facility? Well they have offer me the vaccine but I am not taking it until I get out of this nightmare hope it soon. I have faith 13 months been lockdown it’s not easy.
Yours sincerely.
P.S. I got your address and info from a friend. He don’t know how to read or write Spanish or English.
P.S. Hope you understand my writing my spelling it’s terrible, English is my second language.