This story was told by a person incarcerated at California City.
Caller: Yeah, they cut all types of programs. We only – for a while, we were only coming out like, what, 15 minutes, if that, you know. Like, sometimes you wouldn’t even come out for showers.
I don’t know how that’s legal, but whatever, you know? And then, yeah, they would pretty much just do us dirty sometimes, like saying that it’s ’cause of COVID, you know? So, that would be an excuse not to let us out for stuff.
UCI: Yeah. So, and so, how has the COVID-19 situation at your facility affected your loved ones?
Caller: My loved ones? Well, they – well, my son, he didn’t get to see me for, what, like over a year, you know? And we don’t even get a phone call, we don’t even, you know, like, no picture programs. So, I can’t even send a picture to my son, you know?
Like you can’t send pictures. They cut the picture program, so you can’t sent pictures to your kids or your family. They can’t visit you.
They weren’t even letting us out for phone calls or for showers. You know what I mean? Like so, we couldn’t even talk to our family sometimes at points.
UCI: Oh, wow. Yeah.
Caller: Yeah.
UCI: And how has that been? Like, how are you coping with the crisis?
Caller: Me? I’m just doing, I’m fine. A lot of people in here, they can adapt to shit. But out there, it’s harder on your family than anything.
UCI: Yeah. I mean, I do – I do believe it’s hard out here, but I also believe it’s harder in there because you guys are just like, you know, all together and, like you said, no showers and stuff. Like, one of the ways you have to, you know, get clean is by showering. And so, that’s information that the public needs to know, yeah. And so-
Caller: Yeah. They think it’s – they think it’s okay that we don’t get showers because we birdbath, you know, where you fill up your sink and you get all wet, clean up all the water, put soap, get – wash the water off, wash the soap off. So, they think you don’t need to take a shower, you can just birdbath. But it’s not cool, you know?
UCI: No, yeah, I hear you. I’m sorry. What’s a birdbath? Is it like a sponge bath?
Caller: Yeah, like pretty much a sponge bath but like an extreme sponge bath, you know?
It’s not just like – you have to clean it and everything, you know, because you also live in the cell with somebody, you know? So, you can’t just – how do you say, like, be smelly, you know?
UCI: No yeah, totally understanding. Yeah. How interesting. And what do you think would make the facility – what would you think would make the situation better at your facility?
Caller: Just like a consistent program, you know? Like, I understand that there’s protocols or whatever. Well, everything I guess is starting to open back up, but like at least, like the program – everyone should be able to take a shower a day, make a phone call.
You know what I mean? And like be able to socialize with – you can’t be, you know like – being in a cell, 20, what 23 hours and 45 minutes a day, that’s a lot, you know?
UCI: Mm-hmm.
Caller: So, if we could just get more programs. But who knows? You know? Everything’s opening up. So, I don’t know. I don’t know what’s going on right now.