This story was told by a person incarcerated at Santa Rita Jail.
Caller: Hello?
UCI: Hi.
Caller: Hi, I was just gonna say anything you want to know how it is during the pandemic?
UCI: Yeah, absolutely.
Caller: So, this is my first time in jail, but so I don’t really know how it was before. But, I’ve been told now that we get served food inside our rooms. And we used to be able to have six hours a day, and we were supposed to get mandatory five hours a day at mental health.
But, we only get about one hour a day and two hours maximum to come out of our cells.
UCI: Wow, that must be really difficult.
Caller: Yeah and we – when you first come to jail, you’re in quarantine for about two weeks and you come out for 30 minutes about every four days.
Okay, so like I said, this is my first time in jail. And when we first came here, we were getting six hours of pod time a day. And then – and then they moved different classifications with us, like protective custody, and medium mental health and maximum mental health.
So now, our pod times are stretched out a lot more. We get one hour out a day, once a week and we get, wait so, we get two hours out a day and about two days a week we only get one hour out a day in morning time.
And we get served our food inside the jail, inside our cell, I mean. We don’t have any rec time, we’re not able to go outside. And yes.
UCI: Have you, have they mentioned if they’re going to allow you all to go outside anytime soon?
Caller: I know we’re able to come out to the basketball court that’s in the little, in the rec yard. We get to come out for about a hour, an hour once a week on Saturdays. But I noticed there’s a big yard outside with a gym, and since I’ve been here, I haven’t been able to go outside to use any of the workout equipment or anything, since I’ve been here.
I’m a diabetic and I feel like the food here is not – is not that – is not good for us. I’m having a lot of low blood sugars and stuff. I’ve been to the infirmary a couple times for blood sugars. And yes.
UCI: And so how has the experience with medical been then?
Caller: They’re nice, they’re nice and everything. The only thing it’s just the certain food we get is just not good for diabetics, I think. That’s from, just in my experience. But, yeah.
UCI: Have you been able to get access to any sort of medication that would help you?
Caller: I just, I take my insulin. I just take certain shots. I take a shot before I eat every meal and I take a long-lasting shot at nighttime. To keep my blood sugars stable.
UCI: And you’ve been able to get that okay through the staff?
Caller: Yes. I am – I get – it’s pretty okay. Is there anything you would want to know specifically?
UCI: How is the vaccine process going at your facility?
Caller: So, they, I haven’t got my vaccine since I’ve been here, but I know you’re eligible to get your vaccine whenever you want. Not whenever you want, but they got to schedule a date for certain vaccines. They’ll come – they’ll come and schedule an appointment with you and give you your vaccine.
I think there’s three different shots you’re supposed to get? And they’ll give you a vaccine card when you leave here.
UCI: Have you seen a lot of people getting vaccinated, including staff?
Caller: I’m pretty sure staff had to get vaccinated, but since I’ve been here – I’ve been here with [unintelligible] for at least a year and what I know, there’s been about three, four people get it.
My other cellie is one. But, and if we complain about having a cold or anything, we’ll go on – we’ll go on lockdown for a two-week period where we cannot go to court, and we all got to come out one by one.
UCI: Wow, that must be so difficult. I know our times about to end, and the hotline is ending now. But I just want to make sure that you all know we pay for the calls. ‘Cause, I keep hearing a free phone call when I answer it, and I want to make sure that you all know that when you call us, we should be paying for the calls.
Caller: Okay.
UCI: Yeah. I hope – yeah.
Caller: I’ll make sure. I’ll make sure. I’ll call again.
UCI: Yes, please do. Thank you so much for talking to me tonight.
Caller: Okay, have a good night.
UCI: You too, bye-bye.
