This letter was written by a person incarcerated at Norco.
Hey,
I received your letter and thank you for the vote of confidence in getting through this pandemic.
I hope that this letter finds you and your team at UCI in perfect health and a hopeful state of mind.
What has it been like on the inside of prison during this time? It has been scary. More so at the beginning of this pandemic because I didn’t know what to expect. Would I contract the virus and possibly die here in prison, away from my loved ones?
Angry at the prison for not moving people out of my dorm that was full to capacity, which was 100 men. Making it impossible to distance ourselves. Then when they started testing us and people were testing positive, in which they would be immediately taken out, it was stressful because you didn’t know if you would be on the positive list that was announced daily.
Fortunately, I never did test positive so I was one of 27 men out of the 100 who stayed in this dorm for about 10 months. Then about one month ago, they started they started moving guys who were quarantined back into our dorm. And they’re really not wearing mask as much as me and the 26 others who had not tested positive, so that was frustrating.
How do I feel about my safety inside? My safety today is 100% in God’s hands. I totally depend on his wisdom, love, truth, and understanding to help me navigate through this very difficult time. And I live to help others do the same, because we are stronger together.
I’ve been coping with this crisis by making my spirituality a priority. It’s in this way that I find courage to talk to others about what I’m feeling, and it’s where I find the humbleness to listen to others.
The question of reduced visitation. I can tell you that we get video visits now, and they are for 30 minutes. I have yet to get one so I can’t speak on that aspect.
Thank you for letting your light shine, especially during this dark time. I also enjoy this, so let’s continue, if it’s okay with you.
