This story was told by a person incarcerated at Fresno County Jail.
Caller: Yeah, prior to COVID, it’s a set procedure in place to see the doctor. You file a request at a certain time to see the psychiatrist. Usually, before that, it’s going to be a psychotherapist, you know, or it’s going to be somebody working for the psychiatric community, you know, somebody at the lower levels? A therapist.
But there’s somebody we can see. You see what I mean? There’s somebody we can reach out to and talk to. You know?
But right now, there’s nothing like that, you know? And there’s no confidentiality. Oh, totally none at all. So, when they – when somebody does come to the door, and it’s not going to be a psychiatrist, it’s going to be a therapist at the lowest level, they approach us, and they ask us our permission to talk in front of the guards.
And a lot of us do not feel comfortable doing that because these issues are personal, and we feel that it’s our confidentiality is privileged. You know? So, we’re reluctant to speak. You know? And that, in itself, causes conflict, you know, within. So, that too is a concern.
So, I mean, it’s not that they’re neglecting us completely. I mean, they’re trying their best. I’m going to give that to them, but their best isn’t enough. You know? People can die. There’s people at risk, you know, of suicide. It’s just – it’s just, you know, overwhelming for everybody.
I mean, you know, but the most part is is that – like Biden says, the world is changing. I mean, the world has changed. I totally agree with him. The world has changed. And it’s about time that we either, you know, get with it, or we’ll be dragged into this new world, you know, kicking and complaining.
You know what I’m saying? I’m not with that, you know, kicking and complaining. I want to be open heart with everything, you know, and come into this new world where there’s more peace, love, and security for everybody. You know?
Prisoners really value that. They value kindness. We’ve just been mistreated most of our lives. We don’t really, you know, understand kindness until it’s given to us, and we are afraid of it. So, you know, we’re not sure if it’s a manipulation tactic.
You know? We get suspicious of kindness, and we shouldn’t, you know? But that’s the reality of it, you know, suspicion.