This story was told by a person incarcerated at Avenal.
UCI: What facility are you currently housed at?
Caller: Avenal.
UCI: What has the COVID situation been like?
Caller: Sorry what?
UCI: What has the COVID situation been like at your facility?
Caller: Well we’ve been social distancing a lot, we’ve got masks on all the time, our visitation has been cancelled for almost a year. Yeah.
UCI: So did they start the visitation back up?
Caller: Yeah and it’s once a week I think for an hour. But, see we got family members that live hours away so it’s a little difficult for them to drive up just for an hour. We’re not gonna put our families through that, you know?
UCI: Right, so since they have been releasing vaccinations, how has the vaccination situation been like at your facility?
Caller: Well I took the vaccination myself, it’s pretty simple you just go in, take the shot, go through whatever symptoms you usually get. I didn’t really have any symptoms at all, so. I guess I gotta say it’s alright.
UCI: So they have been offering the vaccine to everyone?
Caller: Yeah they offered them to everybody.
UCI: Okay, and so how have you been coping with the crisis?
Caller: Honestly, I’ve been just staying positive by going to self help groups, exercising, and just listening to music.
UCI: That sounds good. So, what can you say that your facility can do to make the situation better in regards to COVID?
Caller: Well, I guess give us our tablets that they’ve been promising us. Our tablets help us keep in contact with our family members, email them, it’s just an easier way to communicate with our loved ones, you know?
UCI: So they promised you guys tablets?
Caller: Yeah they promised us tablets but I guess the procedure on how to install them, there’s a huge delay on it.
UCI: Oh, and how long has it been?
Caller: Oh man, it’s been a while since I’ve been here. Three years now.
UCI: It’s been three years for the tablets? How long ago did they say they were gonna give them to you?
Caller: Three years.
UCI: Three years ago? For the tablets?
Caller: Yeah. About, yeah.
UCI: Oh, wow.
Caller: Yeah it’s been a while.
UCI: Oh, okay. So, what else do you want the people to know about your experience at your facility?
Caller: I’d like for them to know that all the support they give us could actually help and any little thing they do actually is appreciated by all of us. Currently we have no microwaves in the buildings so food is a little bit difficult meaning our routine of stuff we’re allowed to purchase as far, it’s basically you add water to it, it’d be nice if we had microwaves again.
Other than that if you have loved ones that are incarcerated, please keep in touch with them because this is the most difficult time we’ve been through. Any love or support from the family helps a lot.
UCI: Definitely. Well that’s all for me today. Thank you for calling in to the PrisonPandemic. Please feel free to tell your friends about us and see if they’d like to call in at any moment.
Caller: For sure, man. Thank you!
UCI: Thank you, have a good night.
Caller: You too, man.
