This story was told by a person incarcerated at Fresno County Jail.
Caller: A fever will get us put on quarantine for 14 to 21 days, and by being put on quarantine for 14 to 21 days, that means everybody in this housing unit doesn’t get to go to court. Their due process of law stops. You know what I mean?
And I don’t think nothing can change the Constitution. The Constitution says I have a right, you know, to a public and speedy trial, you know? And I’m saying that’s not being provided, right now with the pandemic. And I’m saying that’s what the money was for.
That’s why the government gave each state money, you know, to make courtrooms to be efficient, to respect the rights of the citizens. Yeah, we’re in jail, true enough, you know what I mean, and that’s our fault. But we still have rights, and those rights are not being protected, you know what I mean, by the courts or by nobody else. You know what I mean? They don’t care. We’re just in the shuffle.
You know? I think the sheriff should be held accountable for that, you know? Someone needs to step up and be like, “What about these individuals right here?” You know? The pre-trial detainees. It’s kind of like, stuck, we’re just stuck. You know what I mean? And we could be put on – we don’t have no say-so.