This letter was written by a person incarcerated at Tehachapi.
It all began, give or take, in January or February, give or take, of 2020. While I was on D yard, A level, where they have 164 people in one dorm, Tehachapi.
Everyone began getting sick. We thought it was a bad cold, going around until an old man who slept across from me wound up getting so bad, they took him to the hospital. I touched his forehead, and he was burning up, fever.
So in a short time, the whole institution was sick. All five yards. That’s a minimum of 5,000 inmates. They even ran out of throat lozenges.
Now in April of 2020, about 10 percent worked and said the following people, pack up your stuff. You’re going to C yard. Because we have to keep you guys separated as best as we can.
So about three hours later, I was in C yard, in a cell by myself. Mind you, I like it because a room with 164 people compared to one by myself, I like silence, so I’m cool.
As time goes on, I began hearing about COVID-19 and I stay on the news every morning – I turn on my TV and that’s all it’s about.
So the fellas and I began talking and came to the conclusion that in January, February, that’s exactly what we had and I know you did.
So as time goes on, the correction officers tell us that the yard I was on is uninfected. It went to E yard and so on.
So time goes on and I go to my annual committee and my level has dropped so they feel me up for transfer, but because of COVID, all transfers were stopped.
Once again, time goes on and transfers start again. And I’ve been in two block doing just fine, but the correction officer tells me, pack up, I’m going to block for transfer and I have to be there for two weeks and test COVID-clean, negative to get on this bus to transfer.
Now, get this, block one is used for the COVID block, for people who have it! Yes, why would they want to send me there when all they have to do is test me while I was in two block. Never made no sense, but can’t tell these people nothing. Plus, I’m saving myself from an ass-kicking. So I move.
