This story was told by a person incarcerated at New Folsom.
UCI: And then what has your COVID situation been like?
Caller: Can you repeat that again?
UCI: What has your COVID situation been like at your facility?
Caller: What housing COVID issues?
UCI: Mmhmm.
Caller: Oh okay, I don’t know why I’m that – oh okay, yeah, one of the issues basically dealing with medically is seeing my specialist and stuff, and they canceled my rheumatologist and pulmonary appointment. That also at the same time today, they had another person go out to [redacted] hospital to go see his specialist. And then, a couple weeks before, another person went out to the hospital, and my last time I went out was December 2021.
And then, before that, I hadn’t been out in almost a year. But other people been going out, and my thing is they’re blocking me when all the COVID tests are coming back negative. So they test you before you go and when you come back. And then they do the temper stuff at the hospital before you go in.
And at the time they’re stopping the – they canceled my last appointments for whatever reason. It’s really, I don’t understand because the fact that they’re trying to use the COVID situation to deny everything around here. And basically the quar- they’re not following the quarantine protocols. So I didn’t understand that.
And so today just threw me for a loop when my partner went out, and he went out to the hospital, and then here it is, I can’t go out for my serious underlying high-risk medical conditions. When all my COVID tests are negative, so, and that’s the main thing, I don’t understand what they’re blocking them for.
So I’m just trying to find a way to get it. Get it out there, all the little nonsense that they’re doing.
UCI: Do they give you a reason for why they’re blocking it?
Caller: Well, the last, on February, the doctor sent me a note that due to COVID that my appointments was canceled and that he is addressing my medical conditions through paperwork where- medical confidentiality with private medical information that will not be enclosed. And he’s been sending me an open, he want me to pu- he wants to put the document in an envelope. He’ll just send it open and send it to me with all my medical information in there ain’t none of these COs business.
And in his last when he said to me on stating that it was behind COVID. And, and it’s like okay, well, you can’t say that because just sending people to work outside the building and sending us out to the yard. And you have to reporters that work, so that can’t be the reason.
And so, and they been having people go over to the medical clinic also for doctors line and stuff. So how can you do that? And then, two days ago, my other specialist appointment was canceled. And apparently, now he done took he to my write me a month about about him trying to send my paperwork and my medical and information through the mail.
If he didn’t do it this time. He didn’t give me a reason. But that’s what they do or anything that they stop and they blocked – they use the COVID issue as an excuse to do so, which they shouldn’t be doing because, as of right now, being around quarantine, I shouldn’t be talking to you on the phone.
UCI: Are there other inconsistencies they have within the protocol?
Caller: Any consistency they have with it?
UCI: Any inconsistency, sorry.
Caller: Oh yes. Inconsistencies? Yes, totally. Actually, anytime a person tests positive within the building, you’re supposed to be locked down for 14 days. And I would think that you basically only supposed to come out your cell for is for a shower.
But in the month of January, they had about 20 guys come up this building. In so far, for the month of February, they had about eight, and we have never been on full protocol.
It was like when medical come on the tears or come in the section, or the COs come in the sections, they supposed to wear the medical protocol, the medical quarantine protocol gear with the medical blue gowns, and shield and all that kind of – they don’t do none of that. So, and then, well, just put it this way, every protocol that they sent us paperwork on what the protocols are and everything that they sent us they violate.
They go against everything that they’re supposed to be doing only thing protocol that they really follows is wearing a mask. Other than that, no, they don’t. They don’t follow it.
UCI: And do they provide masks for you?
Caller: Yes, they do. That we do, you have to ask for it. This last time, they didn’t pass none out, you have to go ask for it. And see, I got a bunch of extra ones that I keep so when stuff like this happen.
UCI: Mmhmm.
Caller: You know, like when you go out to the yard, they make – they have masks out here when you come out to go to the yard and make sure you put one on, but other than that, they supposed to pass them out to the cells, but they haven’t been doing it.
UCI: And then-
Caller: [Unintelligible]
UCI: So sorry. Have they offered the vaccination to anyone?
Caller: Oh yes. Anybody that – that is consistent. Anybody that wants that, you can get that.
UCI: And do they provide any incentive to get it, by any chance?
Caller: Do who?
UCI: Do they give anything in return? If somebody does choose to get vaccinated?
Caller: Do they give anything in return if somebody refused or somebody wants to?
UCI: Wants to?
Caller: I didn’t hear you. If somebody refused?
UCI: If they want to.
Caller: Oh, if they want to, no.
UCI: Okay.
Caller: No, there’s the only thing. See, I’m not vaccinated, but only reason I’m not vaccinated is because of the fact with my leukopenia condition that affects my white blood cells and T-cells, tells me not to take a vaccine or live vaccine or certain flu, flu wrench or flu shots, and all that kind of stuff. So I don’t take it behind that, but they’re constantly every other couple of months, the doctors is trying to influence me to take it. But, like, your own paperwork that you supply me with, with the patient information on my condition, says not to, so why are you trying to influence me to do something?
UCI: Mmhmm.
Caller: One of them told me that, I think it’s the Pfizer, and with the Pfizer in one of the other ones, Johnson & Johnson, he told me it would be dangerous for me to take those and take this other one. I’m like, I’m not taking none of them because the paperwork, the specialists in the field that the paperwork that you get.
With the patient information informed me not, so I’m following and see I do everything that I need to do with taking care of my health so I don’t take anything and, you know, stay clean. Take care of my hygiene, take care of my health, and make sure that I do my distance and have my mask on at all times.
UCI: And you had mentioned you’re supposed to be quarantining, but it hasn’t been upheld. Does that mean you have any visitation rights or programs currently?
Caller: No, as of right now, whenever, like ’cause the whole facilities basically affected, they’ve been having gentlemen coming out of each one of the programming buildings like two or three every other day. So the whole facility, as of right now visiting, is shut down. Then, once they go from step one to step two, then they’ll go to video visiting Indianapolis, video visiting then they’ll go back to visits in person.
UCI: Okay, well, this has been a lot of great information. Is there anything else you’d like to share about your COVID situation tonight?
Caller: Well, this is like dealing with, I’ma say with the appeal system, basically also, I just learned that even though it’s not a direct deal with COVID, but it’s like just come to find out that they passed the new policy on May 2020. And then turned around, and the new type of thing came out on June that those policies that they had in there are not in there.
Now they just passed out another new book for July 2021. And they just gave it to us last week, so therefore, they’re almost like seven months behind.
UCI: Mmhmm.
Caller: See these loops. What they did is, they’re saying is, no longer we can file appeals at the institution. It’s a grievance or complaint, and see the difference between the appeal and the grievance, the grievance is just the complaints.
They’re not held legally abide to the grievance. That if you file an appeal the appeal, hold them up under the guidelines of the California Penal Code under the governor and state law, and they’re held responsible by law.
So if you’re not filing, you can’t file an appeal. Then they’re not responsible for a lot of the rules and rules and regulations that they violate and break. So I got an appeal back yesterday, and it stated on their California State Prison Appeals Office.
And see, I’ve been questioning this situation the whole time, because in these new books that came out, there’s nothing in there with all these new fake policies they got. Because they’re saying that they have 60 days to respond to you.
And if they don’t respond in those 60 days, you don’t get no response, period. it just goes away. And that’s what they did.
They’ve been holding people’s appeals anywhere between 60 to six months over that timeline, and I filed petitions in the court where I go to, where they held them over a whole year. And then tell me that I get no response because they failed to respond to it in 60 days. And this is the this is the type of illegal tactics that they’re using. Getting ready to shut off the cell, but that’s just one of the many things that they’re doing here.
UCI: Well, thank you so much for calling in. If you’d like to, you may call back and – hello?
Caller: Oh yeah, I’m still here.
UCI: Oh, sorry. If you’d like, you can call back and share more about-
Caller: Yeah. Whenever there’s, yeah, whenever there’s anything new, I will do so. I done called prob- this is my third call this week.
UCI: Oh, thank you.
Caller: Yeah, so anything new, I have no problem with sharing because the whole thing of it is closed mouth can’t get fed, and there’s nobody left outside.
