This letter was written by a person incarcerated at Soledad.
I am saddened by the many, many lives already lost. Young and old. And my concern is more for my family, friends, and loved ones out in the free world. For not being able to be there for and with them is a heavy burden in itself. I worry for them everyday and to lose one of them due to COVID-19 would take a heavy toll on my mental well being.
Left in my corner is my brother and a handful of friends. And not being able to visit with them is heartbreaking. And due to space limitations, I don’t see why CDCR can’t allow prisoners to receive one contact visit for every 90 days. For two hours, Saturday and Sunday, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Twenty-five prisoners a day for two hours comes to 75 prisoners visits, 50 for both days. And in one month, one yard, both buildings can get their contact visit. But not all prisoners receive visits and this one visit can do wonders for a prisoner.
But with or without visitation we must all exercise a lot of understanding, patience, and use this time to build up a strong communication line. To strengthen a bond that’s being tested and challenged.
