This letter was written by a person incarcerated at Salinas Valley.
The sickness came and flowed like the waves of symptoms. In the beginning months of the lockdown, the COs expressed receipt of current information. Tape boundaries went up and notice after notice went posted. Thoughts that they stood by were vocalized and the word was a possible regrouping by the beginning of 2021.
We found out releases would take place, and several inmates in my building went home. The releases start for COVID-19 just as fast. The other releases were short, I expected a release myself and that time passed. Over the months the news became confusing.
In December 2020 I was positive for COVID-19. I was mad, I did not want to leave my building. In the end, I went to a quarantine building in another yard. I had a fever and body weakness. The nausea came after that, then all of a sudden I realized I had no smell.
I did not, however, register if it was the cold cell that slowed that fact of the new symptoms, but it was frightening. At the same moment, any taste I realized was gone! My time there was slow moving, they offered to get me an emergency treatment at the hospital, however, I was eventually beyond the suggested treatment phase.
I was quarantined for 15 days. I came back in January 2021 to my cell. I lost seven pounds in quarantine. Information and freedom is the trail line behind us. Several inmates and a CO that lived and worked in my building passed away. It is the middle of April, the months since quarantine have been worse.
They only produced information about the vaccine. I did not take the vaccine. They used the dentist during one vaccine go around. I am ready to go home and thankful that no one has been sick for a few months. Thank you for a chance to share a story with you.
