This letter was written by a person incarcerated at CMC (California Men’s Colony).
February 09, 2021
RE: COVID-19 pandemic
Dear PrisonPandemic,
My name is [redacted]. I’m currently an inmate here at the California Men’s Colony State Prison located here in San Luis Obispo, California, serving a 13-year prison term for two counts of PC 211 robbery, second degree (shoplifting), currently scheduled for release on November 2024.
I have taken this opportunity to write you this letter as it relates to your letter I’m currently in receipt of, postmarked January 30, 2021, to which I received today.
First, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for taking the time to write me. That was very kind of you. It’s good to see there is some people like you out there that still care about people like me here in prison. You really are a blessing from God above.
Now turning to your letter. I would love to write to you about how I feel about the COVID-19 and what it’s been like dealing with it within these prison walls.
First, I understand that you said my name information would not be provided with my story. I don’t have a problem with that. Maybe something good will come of it. Maybe people will start writing me (LOL).
Anyway, here is my story below.
COVID-19 and me
In April of 2020, while housed in a 90-man inmate dorm at the California Men’s Colony-West Facility, located in San Luis Obispo, California, I was transferred to California Men’s Facility via my prison doctor’s order in order to reduce the chances of contracting COVID-19.
I was placed in a single-inmate cell at California Men’s Colony-East Facility (my current housing). I was transferred as I am a cancer patient. In 2017, while running on reception yard, I fell and injured bot my pelvis. After multiple tests, the tests confirmed that I have multiple myeloma (bone cancer) throughout my entire body. I currently receive outside cancer treatment (chemo).
Anyway, everything was going really great here at the California Men’s Colony-East, unlike other state prisons in California. Every prison seemed to be contracting COVID-19, with the exception of this prison. Only minor cases.
Shortly thereafter, COVID-19 started picking up at this prison, even here at CMC-East single-man cells. It was at this time prison officials started letting some people out of prison from here early to reducing chances of them contracting COVID-19.
One day while outside on the recreation yard, I heard my name being paged to report to the program office. Upon reporting there with my prison ID, I was met by both a CDCR correctional sergeant and a medical nurse. The nurse then administered a COVID-19 test and told me that I was being released early, that I would be released with seven days of the test coming back negative.
Next approximately two months later once began another COVID-19 test was taken and I was informed I would be released with seven days of the test coming back negative.
It was a few weeks later, I had contacted multiple prison officials as to why I had never released early. To this today, no one has an answer as to why I was never released. I currently have a prison grievance pending with CDCR California Health Care Officials pending in Elk Grove, California. Due response on February 2021.
Next, approximately six months ago, a very good friend of mine that was a life inmate in here named [redacted], who had cancer like me and went to the same outside cancer doctor as myself, contracted COVID-19 in here and died.
It really had an impact on me. Because I had to really ask myself, am I next? Man that could have been me. My older sister who lives in Irvine, California, is always getting on me about being careful. She is really worried about me catching it in here and not making it out of here alive. Every time I call her, she lets me have it on the phone.
Next, on December, 2020, I tested positive for COVID-19 along with other inmates. There was a major outbreak of COVID-19, over 900 active cases after 31 CDCR correctional officers tested positive. A CDCR officials waiting two weeks before doing anything about my whole life changed. I was so worried I was going to die in here locked in my cell, no movement.
CDCR prison officials stopped me from going to my outside cancer/chemo treatment. The next months, on January 2021, although I had never left my cell and I had been quarantined for 13 days, prison officials gave me a rapid COVID-19 test and 10 minutes later told me that I tested positive again for COVID-19. So my outside cancer/chemo appointment was once again canceled.
If it was not for all the legal work I do in here, helping other inmates with their cases trying to get them out as well as myself, that it what keeps my mind off the COVID-19, I would be in real trouble.
I miss the visits from my sisters who use to come see me all the time. COVID-19 has had a serious life-changing affect on me. I worried about my brother who lives in the state of Georgia where they don’t wear masks. He has been on drugs, crystal meth, since 1989. There is no telling who he’s been in contact with. I worry about my kids. I have a daughter. Her and her kids recently contracted COVID-19.
I worry about my health and safety in here all the time, after everyone on my cell block tested positive for COVID-19. And cleared from quarantine, now you have a lot of people that thinks it’s OK to no longer wear a mask. Although I still wear my mask and always will.
I always think and stay positive. I am a firm believer that everything in life happens for a reason, although we may not always understand it sometimes. I always tell myself don’t matter what happens to me, I’m going to make it out of here. Although it seems like one thing after another happens to me in here.
In 2019, prior to COVID-19, and after I found out about my cancer, I noticed that I had a lump in my throat and I restricted some of my food going down when I eat. CDCR sent me to an outside doctor and tests confirmed that I have a fungus in my throat, about 10 to 12 mm since I contracted black mold fungus from cleaning the inmate restrooms at CMC-West as a dorm porter for five years.
Approximately 2018, a 90-man inmate housing dorm at CMC-West was closed down due to the same exact fungus, black mold. CDCR will not let me see any more outside doctors so that I can have it removed from my throat.
Well, I’m going to bring this letter to an end now. May God bless you and the staff at PrisonPandemic.
Should you have any questions, please write again and stay safe from COVID-19. Should you wish to contact my sister, you are more than welcome. I will let her know someone from UCI PrisonPandemic may call her, OK?
Sincerely.
