This story was told by a person incarcerated at Riverside County Jail.
UCI: Okay. So please give your testimony about any aspects you think are important for people to know about the situation of people incarcerated during COVID-19. Go for it.
Caller: Oh, okay. Yeah. I would just, like, I’m in it right now. The pandemic has, like, obviously ended statewide businesses, I believe, like, two weeks ago, and we’re still on modified program.
There’s still no visiting for [unintelligible], there’s still, like, split tier and single staff for showers and the day room. And basically nothing much has changed since the – the pandemic has ended, you know, statewide for other things, for other businesses and church.
Also, we – we’re not religious services in here. Basics that we had before the pandemic, and we’re very patient with them, and they – they’re not changed. And we would like to know when these – these emergency powers are end because a lot have been incarcerated for a long time now.
Many of them for several years or more, and they’re still saying the courts, that they can use emergency powers to waive our, cut out our consent due to the pandemic, and we’re saying that we’d like to have our rights to speedy trial, to due process. And being denied that based on what’s happening in the emergency powers granted to the county based on COVID-19 pandemic.
And since that’s ended, these powers have not been redacted or returned to the pre-pandemic conditions that, you know, we as Americans and citizens of the State of California are [guaranteed] by law and those are being [unintelligible] to us [unintelligible] and also those [unintelligible] prison. That’s all. Thank you.
UCI: Okay. Is there anything else that you want to talk – touch on?
Caller: There’s one other thing. There’s – there’s been individuals that are ADA that by law should be guaranteed certain things such as ADA chairs in the – in [unintelligible], ADA helper, you know. And I have a lot of jail time, and I’ve never heard this before in my life. People in wheelchairs being denied what they have coming to them, you know, based on American Disabilities Act such to the point where I’ve actually seen hunger strikes go on for up to ten days.
And – because here in Riverside County because they’re being denied their – their proper rights as disabled people in wheelchairs. And they’re having to take showers in their wheelchair, sit in a wheelchair, you know, and that’s – that’s just absolutely, you know, horrible as, you know, a humans rights violation.
UCI: Yes.
Caller: I’d like to go on record saying that’s – that that’s actually going on, personally witnessed that, and it is absolutely horrible.
UCI: Yeah, that’s horrendous. That’s terrible.
Caller: That – that’s what I would like to say, so that’s going on. That’s been going – been an ongoing thing here in Riverside County Jail. So other than – thank you. Have a good day. And like I said, I wanted to call for that specific reason earlier that I talked about. Okay?
UCI: Thank you. No, I appreciate your time and – and thank you for letting other people know about this. And – and getting them to call in and write, however they’re – they’re planning on doing it because the – we’ve been doing more of an outreach to jails as well. So it’s also really important, obviously, to hear about people, obviously, because of, you know, AB 109 and the realignment.
And people are spending, like you said, many – many more years within the jail system as opposed to going to prison. So it’s – we haven’t had a chance to hear from people that are actually incarcerated in jail, so this is really important. I really appreciate it.
Caller: It – oh, we – we actually appreciate. Very rarely we’re having somebody out on the outside, you know, fight for us, and we really appreciate that. I’m doing what I can to encourage other people in here to, you know, send letters. Know that I try and tell people not to make them personal, you know, but to, you know, whatever to maintain [unintelligible].
Like – like I said, you know, I – I’ve been in the system. I’m, you know, I’m not a bad person, but – but I’m not trying to tell you I’m a good person either; you know? But the things I’ve seen in recent years are way, way egregious.
[Unintelligible] and I’ve never seen it before in my life, and it – it’s just a very wrong [unintelligible], so I encourage you and the rest of your staff, you know, thanks for all the – all they’re doing out there. All right?
UCI: Fantastic. I really appreciate your time. Thank you so much.
Caller: All right. Have a good day.
UCI: All right. You, too. Have a good one.
