This letter was written by a person incarcerated at Chowchilla
1-10-21
Dear UCI students,
I am currently incarcerated at Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla, California. I’ve been here since February 2020. And in April of 2020, the prison went on shut down, modest program, due to the pandemic of COVID-19.
And modest program means every unit housing only comes out and programs one hour of the day! Because of COVID-19 and trying to use social distancing! Since COVID-19 had started, the prison had plenty of time to plan for the COVID-19.
Well recently CCW is having a massive outbreak of the COVID-19. Over 500-plus cases have happened in over one week in the prison. I am one out of 500 plus cases. One kitchen worker was positive for COVID-19. And that one infection caused over 500 and more inmates.
One of my roommates tested positive of COVID-19. And the housing staff didn’t take it seriously and ended up passing the COVID to me and the rest of my roommates. In CCWF is housed eight inmates to one room. The COVID-19 spread like a wildfire in the prison!
CCWF was not ready for the outbreak and had plenty of time to plan for it! Once my roommate test positive, she was left in the room for six day after her test. Once we tested positive we were given a direct oder to leave our personal property behind and only pack for a two-week isolation cause we will return back to our housing.
Due to the massive outbreak and the unplanned, inmates such as I have lost mostly all my personal property and been moved three times around the prison. CCWF has no planned procedure of what to do, when it comes to the COVID-19.
Once inmates test positive, they are moved where other inmates are not positive. CCWF needs medical help on what to do to prevent a future outbreak! Now that I’ve been isolated, they moved me and 25 others to a building where there is still quarantine.
CCWF needs to plan for when an outbreak happens again. So CCWF can use some ideas and future planning.
Thank you.
If you have any questions feel free to write me!
If you need any more information from inside, you can ask me.
Thank you.
And during isolation I’ve only made contact to my children once! I’ve been separated from my real sister and have lost most of my personal property! The COVID-19 has made prison time even harder than what it already is. I’ve lost regular contact and visits from my children. The pandemic is real!