This letter was written by a person incarcerated at CMC (California Men’s Colony).
Dear PrisonPandemic,
Greetings to you and all of your staff. May the words find you all safe of COVID-19 and in good health. Here’s my story here at CMC-West: From January of 2020 until January of 2021 we were doing great staying to a minimum of COVID cases. It was stressful, cause you never know what staff may bring the virus in to us.
This is a dorm living, 65 inmates per dorm, and most bunks one only three feet apart with about eight six feet spaces. So we live pretty close together, but again we did pretty good until January 5, 2021. Then it seemed like every yard was infected with COVID-19. All you saw were ambulances coming and going day and night. People being put in isolation, sent to east to be put in cells, all night long. It was bad.
I was sent to an isolation dorm for the past week. It was so depressing. At night it sounded liked death was coming at anytime to all of us. All you could hear was people coughing and having a hard time breathing. The staff would count and immediately leave the building.
I’ve been in 19 years and I’ve never seen or felt absolutely alone and afraid if I would die or survive. For strength, I prayed and prayed! Today, I’ve been blessed to be resolved and I still pay for all those fighting this terrible virus and their families.
What’s really sad is the medical staff did our vitals daily, twice a day, but the doctors did nothing else to help us. Nothing, not even medical advice on how to fight the virus.
As for our visits and being able to see family. That has been very hard because so many of us have lost loved ones due to COVID. And it’s just hard to not be able to have that contact with those you love.
Well, that’s my story and I thank you for allowing us to have a platform to share our stay. This is very deep, and as I finish my sentence I can only hope for the best. Rest in peace to my friend Michael.
Thank you.
