This story was told by a person incarcerated at an ICE/Private-Contractor facility.
UCI: Has the prison been treating COVID seriously since you got there?
Caller: We were quarantined. They’ve taken some initiative. We got tested. They come through and do temperature checks on the daily, but I’m not sure if they’re really going to be testing again or not.
I haven’t been here that long. If they’re going to be testing us periodically this year. If there’s any people that might have caught it or anything. I don’t know if just doing temperature checks is enough to control it or for them to know if it’s here or not.
We do go outside to the yard and share it with people that are in other buildings. So, if anybody else even in another building has it, I’m pretty sure that, through all the equipment and stuff, it could probably spread out too.
UCI: And they don’t have the facilities to keep the equipment clean, I’m sure.
Caller: I’m not sure if they disinfect them after every building that goes in there and uses it or not, honestly.
UCI: Damn.
Caller: I, personally, haven’t seen it myself. I mean they run different buildings back to back. As soon as our time’s up, the next building goes in, you know?
UCI: Yeah, what’s your impression? What do you think based on what you see the staff do and the COs?
Caller: I would probably think that it would be more appropriate if they probably have somebody designated to just disinfecting the area with some disinfectant, whether it be bleach or something else, to hit all the equipment after every building has been done with it.
UCI: Anything, yeah.
Caller: To prevent it at least from spreading from one building to the next if it were to come into the building. I don’t know if it’s been here yet or not. Like I said, I haven’t been here that long. But that’s usually how it happens.
Just one person catches it, and then it’s a major outbreak. Next thing you know, all the buildings have it. And they really don’t. I don’t see how they could possibly control it here, because all the buildings are taken up. So, I don’t know how they would spread it out to quarantine people or whatever.
UCI: Wow.
Caller: That’s a major concern to me. That’s a major concern to, once it gets in here, I don’t know how they. There’s really no way to quarantine anybody.
UCI: Amazing. Incredible. Unbelievable.
Caller: Yeah.
UCI: Just the basics, huh? Just missing the basics. And I don’t know. I don’t know what it’s like to be in your position, but I feel for you. I can’t imagine what that’s like, to not have access to those basic resources that you’re entitled to.
Caller: Yeah it’s very- like I said, it’s a scary thought. It is very concerning, and there’s really not much you could do about it. I mean I wish that they would have more options available to people that qualify where they offer more mails or alternative solutions to where you could probably get released under some sort of supervision and follow up on your cases from the outside where you have more actions to staying healthier and safer, in a sense.
