This story was told by a person incarcerated at Solano.
UCI: So, what facility are you currently housed at?
Caller: What?
UCI: What facility are you currently housed at?
Caller: I’m in – I’m in Solano State Prison in Vacaville, California.
UCI: Okay, and what has the COVID situation been like at your facility?
Caller: It’s been, it’s kind of hectic just for the simple fact that I’m in a dorm. I’m dorm-living, and there’s a bunch of people around me, and which majority don’t wear masks, and some of them are not vaccinated. Some of us are vaccinated.
And it’s kind of packed, and they want to add more people. They want to bring more people into the dorm, which it already has, like, about 200 plus people, and they want to bring another 200 plus people. So, yeah.
UCI: Mm-hmm, and how has the vaccination situation been like at your facility?
Caller: Actually, I actually got vaccinated at Centinela State Prison in Imperial Valley, California. That’s where I got vaccinated. And they actually were on it right there. They made sure everyone got vaccinated, or you couldn’t program. Which by program, I mean basically go to yard or get store.
So, I guess we’re kind of forced to do it because if we didn’t do it, then we didn’t get privileges. And as of right here, where I’m at now, it seems, like, they’re not really on it.
They’re not really tripping about it. So, they have it here if you want to take it, and if you don’t want to take it, you don’t have to take it.
UCI: Mm-hmm, and were you, were y’all able to choose which vaccine you took, or was it everyone took the same one?
Caller: Oh, everyone took the same. I think we all took the Moderna one. I believe.
UCI: Mm-hmm, and so, how has the COVID situation at your facility affected your loved ones? Like, has it changed visitation at all?
Caller: Actually, yeah, it has. I haven’t – they’re doing video visits right here. When I was at Centinela, they were doing contact visits, but you couldn’t hug them, or they got to be six feet, and it was only for an hour.
But, it’s affected me, personally, because I haven’t, I haven’t met my – I was supposed to get a visit, right, but long story short, I haven’t met my daughter. I had my daughter while I was in prison. My baby momma’s in prison, too.
Because of COVID, it prevented my family – because of all these COVID protocols, it prevented me from meeting my daughter. So, that’s how it is right now. It’s kind of hectic to get a visit and unsafe, you know?
UCI: Mm-hmm, and how have you been coping with the crisis?
Caller: I’ve been coping all right with it. Luckily, no one – none of my loved ones have died from it. But I know, certain people, their loved ones have died from it. But I’ve been coping all right.
Just hanging in there, waiting for everything to finish. Or, not finish but everything to calm down and, you know, get back on track.
UCI: Mm-hmm, and what would have made the situation at your facility better?
Caller: More access to disinfectant and cleaning supplies, and that’s pretty much it. More access to cleaning supplies and disinfectants to be able to clean thoroughly and properly.
UCI: Mm-hmm, and what else do you want people to know about your experience? Is there anything you would like to add?
Caller: No, that’s pretty much it. You know, just mask up, you know?
UCI: Well, thank you very much for participating in PrisonPandemic, and please consider telling your friends about us and seeing if they would like to call in.
Caller: All right, very good. You have a good day and, yeah, you know.
UCI: Thank you, take care.
Caller: All right, bye.
UCI: All right, bye.
