This letter was written by a person incarcerated at Orange County Theo Lacy Jail.
Caller: Hey, hi what’s going on?
UCI: Hi.
UCI: And what facility are you currently housed at?
Caller: I’m in Piedmont at Theo Lacy.
UCI: So what has the COVID situation been like for you?
Caller: At first it was horrible, like they just didn’t understand the prevarity of it and the reason I decided to actually call is ’cause it seems like we’re all out of those tiers, or whatever they call it. It’s like throughout COVID they have given us water bottles with cleaning products, paper towels, and hand sanitizer, and things for sanitary reasons, and they’ve been pretty good about that. But just recently, after we came off of it, they’ve been slacking and stuff. They’ll refill the bottles but they’ll forget the paper towels or some days they won’t come.
It was an everyday like multiple times a day thing, you know. So it’s just that and I mean I’ve been coming in and out on violations so I’ve been getting the whole feel of it since last year. And a real big thing too is everyone- I got the letter and I was talking, you know, and we think it’d be cool if you guys got some way to get in, you know, the newspaper or whatever it was to be able to call your guys’ connections and let them know that we’re the only county that still doesn’t have hot meals.
We’re being served three bagged lunches a day. And the reason being, we’ve been told is ’cause they’ve released so many people that it got to a point where, ’cause I’m obviously in the higher like the gang module or whatever it is, whatever reason that may be that they released everyone so they don’t have people like kitchen workers to be able to cook the food and do what they do with the food to be able to come serve us. Well our- I mean isn’t it easy enough to just be able to make people suitable like reclassify them that aren’t supposedly supposed to be classified so high anyways to be able to work those kitchens and be able to feed us meals.
‘Cause I know after a certain amount of time, and it is actually ACLU work, and it is actually- they are susceptible to a lawsuit, which, we’ve been giving them you know, sympathy, obviously for whatever reasons. Now, it’s obviously just not equal and we have to do something to stand for it. Do you have any questions in like particularly?
UCI: Yeah, I don’t know if you can repeat the last minute, the call kind of cut off, but if you can’t I can ask another question?
Caller: Yeah I was just saying about the food, we’ve been having three hot three- we have no hot meals. We’ve been having three cold meals, three bagged lunches. And it’s horrible, it’s been going on for the whole time basically. Other than that, yeah.
UCI: Yeah so regarding that too, as well, how has the vaccination situation been like?
Caller: Oh yeah, they came around for the vaccinations. Everyone’s just being kind of weary about it because of all the stuff we, ’cause we watch the news. You know 24/7 and that’s all we got so it’s like people are getting blood, couple of people are getting blood clots and then like I guess they bring it out and then they take it away.
So we don’t really know what to do, we just make sure that, I guess, none of us are sick and we all kind of know how to get through the day feeling well or not well, you know. But they offered it to us.
UCI: OK, and so the other question is regarding reduced visitation and programming.
Caller: Oh yeah. We went a whole year without visits and just recently, this April, they allowed it one visit a month per person. And then I guess just recently two weeks after that, after it got better, then now we’re allowed to have two visits a month. And then supposedly I guess we’re supposed to, I guess if you’re aware how San Diego is, how they do visits by the phone and the tablet, we’re supposed to be going somewhere with it like that.
But I don’t know how fast that’s going to come in but other than that the visiting, yeah, that kind of sucks, the food’s a major point. And then other than that, I guess, I think they’re doing something where, instead of, it hasn’t gotten to us but some people who are eligible for kicks may be getting kicks. And then some people who, It’s called- it’s like an ankle monitor where if they have some time left on their sentence, then they get released on an ankle monitor for housing purposes just to keep the jail count down.
UCI: OK, I didn’t know that. And you know with reduced visitation, there’s also that part of the family and loved ones and how, with this COVID situation how has that affected your family or loved ones?
Caller: The worst part about it is I’ve had my grandfather pass away and then my grandma almost went too, you know. But other than that, it’s been alright, it’s not cool ’cause, you know, I can’t complain or bicker about something I put myself in. You know? It just, I mean yeah, I mean it just, it sucks, they did what they could it just it’s sucks, when somebody looks at you a certain way and holds you to a certain parr.
I’m not what they think I am, you know, so if I wasn’t at that caliber, supposedly, then they would have already done let me go for no reason, you know? And just like the whole other bunch of people that they let go, and I could’ve went on with my life but they want to hold me here for other reasons. And that kind of strains my family ’cause my family knows what kind of person I am.
UCI: And with this whole COVID situation going on, how have you been coping with the crisis
Caller: Ultimately, the money situation has been bad since the working. And then, I was going to ask you, you said there’s no way for help with our case, but what about actually information, you can look something up. And I don’t know how you would get it at me, is it now, or in a letter, but the stimulus situation. Normally with the other stimuluses, the people have been allowed, ’cause I guess they get OKd for people to get them in jail and now it’s OK, we’re allowed to get them.
But, there’s always been a portal for people to get it and I talked to some of my people and they said there is no portal supposedly to be able to just go on to like stimulus.com and then enter information and get it. And then with the other stimuluses we’ve been under right law library and get the 10, or the, yeah the 1040 tax, the tax form and fill it out a certain way. I was wondering if there’s any information that you had on that just ’cause we have some numbers we can call but I mean my people said they’ve tried but they’re kind of, they’re working now too, you know.
I don’t know if that may be an issue that you guys might be able to conquer, trying to help us people. Technically, there’s legal situations, you know what I’m saying?
UCI: Yeah. Personally, as far as I know, because we are students at the university, as far as I know we don’t really help in that aspect.
Caller: Yeah.
UCI: We don’t have anything connected to those resources. I’m kind of sorry about that. But-
Caller: You wouldn’t even be able to look anything up just on Google?
UCI: No, I’m sorry.
Caller: Oh OK.
UCI: Yeah, sorry about that.
Caller: It’s alright. I totally understand how it is. I just, you know, some how, some ways you can make a friend but right now, I know- I understand that you’re, it’s kind of business like, you know?
UCI: Yeah, I’m sorry.
Caller: It’s alright.
UCI: I mean, you can always write it on the letter and maybe if they receive it that way, maybe they can help from there. Just in case.
Caller: Yeah that’d be cool, ’cause it’s totally- and I could even send and write down some of the stuff on the paper that we have. Other than that, it would be something that anybody could do, you know.
UCI: Of course.
Caller: Yeah, anything else though?
UCI: Yeah. Regarding, so with this whole COVID situation, what would you, how would you have fixed this whole mess with the facility, and in this whole situation. Like what would you have done to make it better?
Caller: Honestly, it would have just started with them classifying people way better. ‘Cause Orange County is the only one that’s particular like this. They make people be out to be who they aren’t. And then I’d probably would’ve just maybe made bail a little bit less cheaper.
COVID bail, instead of- I would’ve probably done the COVID release thing for the majority of people because there’s tons of people that don’t need to be here. But for some of the people that obviously, you know, do need to be here, give them some what of a chance to be released and the maybe just like even release them and then, but with them knowing they need to come back. I forget that’s called but it’s something like when your family member dies, they let you out and then you have to come back.
Something like that maybe while it was the intense part of the COVID. They could let you out and then you come back, you know. With some people, they would- might not would’ve come back but maybe not those cases that they wouldn’t been able to afford to let go, you know? Maybe some of the people that they you know, could have been afforded to let go.
UCI: Yeah.
Caller: Yeah.
UCI: So, is there anything else that you would want people to know about your experience with COVID in the facility?
Caller: Absolutely not, I mean, this is like whatever. It’s just another day. It just sucks that the world literally almost ended and it could quite possibly come back, you know.
UCI: Yeah. And do you have any questions for me regarding the project?
Caller: Nah, if you guys have any cool pictures or anything like that that you guys are dealing with or anything, you guys already have my booking number. We have four walls that we love to hang stuff up in, you know?
UCI: Yeah, and like I said, if there’s anything else you’d like to address, you could always write it in the PO and that gives the people in charge of the project more time to address them, if it’s possible. If you have any friends or any family members that would like to call, they can tell heir side of their experience with COVID, they can also call this number.
Caller: OK, and real quick is there any, do you know the school thing people look at to sign up for classes? Is there any way you might be able to send me one?
UCI: A website to sign up for classes, where?
Caller: Like, not a pamphlet or a brochure, or whatever it is, the thing that you jam through that has all the classes that you can look for like economics, math, or journalism, photographs, or like all that type of stuff?
UCI: Of course, but for what school?
Caller: I mean, you guys are UC Irvine or is this just like a, this is UC Irvine, isn’t it?
UCI: Yes, that’s correct.
Caller: Yeah I would assume UCI Irvine correct?
UCI: Yeah.
Caller: I mean ’cause other than that, I mean if you could, I mean I don’t know if you guys, I mean I would assume that I would just ask for that. ‘Cause I’m ultimately just kind of looking just ’cause I’m bored. ‘Cause I don’t know, it’s just something cool to look at, you know. ‘Cause I know ten years ago when I was thinking about going to college, you know, they might not have some of the classes that they have now, you know.
UCI: Yeah, I’ll take note of that. And I’m pretty sure when they hear this and you can also note it on the letters which is a lot more probable that you can get something back through there ’cause that’s where it would be sent through.
Caller: Oh OK.
UCI: That could be done for sure.
Caller: OK.
UCI: Yeah.
Caller: OK, cool. Other than that, thank you I appreciate it, man.
UCI: Yeah, I appreciate your call and like I said, if you have anybody else that is interested in calling, this is the line.
Caller: OK, alright.
UCI: Thank you.
Caller: Alright. Do you want me to ask anyone else right now if they want to jump on the line right now?
UCI: They can call through their time ’cause I think the time on our call ends at a particular time so it cuts out. So.
Caller: Yeah. OK cool, alright then. You have a good rest of your night then.
UCI: You too, bye.
Caller: Alright, later man.
