This story was told by a person incarcerated at Pelican Bay.
UCI: How has the COVID situation been like at your facility?
Caller: Well, it’s basically, it’s been — there’s been an outbreak. Right? It’s been an outbreak in the prison since last May — since May of 2020. You know what I’m saying? And, basically, a large number of officers had tested positive. You know what I’m saying?
And the officers had to come into work and, basically, infect the inmates. You know what I’m saying? Because it’s located — is kind of located in a small, rural area. You know what I’m saying?
UCI: Yes.
Caller: So the — so a lot of the officers are coming in here and pretty much infect the inmates. You know what I’m saying? And, since May of – since may of last year, I think like 400 officers have tested positive. And like about 300 inmates have tested positive.
UCI: Oh, wow.
Caller: You know what I’m saying? Yeah. You know what I’m saying? And but, when you think about it, the number is a small number.
But, since this is a real, you know, this is a real small area up here, 400 people testing positive, it’s kind of a big thing. You know what I’m saying? Because the area — direct area around the prison is real small. You know what I’m saying?
UCI: Yeah. Definitely.
Caller: Yeah. So, basically — you know what I’m saying — it’s actually been an outbreak, since May of last year. You know what I’m saying? And then, you got the delta variant.
You know what I’m saying? It’s like over the last two months, it’s been a delta outbreak in here, too, though. You know what I’m saying?
It’s been a large spike in here. You know what I’m saying? And then, you got a lot of officers that were saying that they were going to refuse to take the vaccine. You know what I’m saying?
A lot of officers saying that they’re going to refuse to take the vaccine. But they still come to work, though. You know what I’m saying? You know what I mean?
UCI: Yeah. That’s definitely not good.
Caller: Yeah.
UCI: How has the vaccination situation been for the inmates?
Caller: See, they were supposed to test once a week. Right? But the only people that are really being tested are the people that are unvaccinated. You know what I’m saying?
So the people that are vaccinated are not being tested, though. You know what I’m saying? So we really don’t know the true number of the breakthrough cases.
You know what I’m saying? The breakthrough cases—we really don’t know. Because people that are vaccinated are not being tested. You know what I’m saying?
UCI: Yeah.
Caller: You know what I’m saying? Yeah. Yup. Yeah. So, yeah. So that’s basically what’s going on.
UCI: Okay. How has the COVID situation at your facility affected your loved ones?
Caller: Oh, you said affected what?
UCI: Affected your loved ones, like has visitation changed, any changes in anything, like of seeing your loved ones?
Caller: Oh, you talking about like program-wise? You talking like program-wise, as far as going to program and stuff like that?
UCI: Oh. You can answer that, too. I was asking about like visitation and just-
Caller: Well, since the pandemic happened, it’s really been no type of education program offered at all. You know what I’m saying? So everything, pretty much, they shut down – it’s since like May of last year. You know what I’m saying?
The only thing that’s really being offered is like medical services. You know what I’m saying? But the only medical services that’s really being offered are like urgent emergency medical situations though. You know what I’m saying?
UCI: Okay.
Caller: Yeah. So that’s basically the only type of program, no religious services are really not being offered either, though.
UCI: Oh.
Caller: Yeah. Yup. Religious services are not being offered. The chaplain supposed to come around everyday—well, they supposed to come around every week and make rounds. And they’re not doing that either, though. You know what I’m saying?
UCI: Yeah.
Caller: So that’s basically going on.
UCI: How have you been coping with all of this?
Caller: See, I’ve been coping with it. But, basically, just trying to call family as much as possible, though. Just trying to call them on a daily basis.
UCI: Okay. What would have made the situation better at your facility?
Caller: Let me see. The only thing that would really make it better is if the officers would be mandated to get the vaccine. You know what I’m saying?
Because I mean, if a lot of these officers – you know what I’m saying — would take the vaccine, this whole thing would be over real quick. You know what I’m saying?
This whole thing would be over with. The only thing — you know what I’m saying? So, hopefully, the Governor puts his mandate in, and the Governor force a lot of these officers to take the vaccine.
And, if they don’t, then, they fucking fire their ass or something. You know what I’m saying? So, hopefully, that’s something that’ll get done, though.
UCI: Yeah, definitely.
Caller: You know what I’m saying? Yeah. Yup.
