This story was told by a person incarcerated at an ICE/Private-Contractor facility.
UCI: And what is it like now with only [redacted] people in the jail?
Caller: Well it’s kind of, it’s very hard, you know, because there’s only [redacted]. You know, it’s a little difficult, you know, but, you know, we’re all fighting for our freedom. You know, see if we can get our freedom out of here.
UCI: Mhmm.
Caller: But it’s very, you know, hard and stressful.
UCI: Mhmm.
Caller: You know, there was [redacted] before. Now, it’s only [redacted], and, you know?
UCI: Yeah. I imagine that must be very difficult. How have you been coping with the crisis? I’m sorry?
Caller: Well, you know, talking to family, you know, and the mental health they offer here is very minimal, to a minimal. So, you know, but, you know, no mental health or anything, you know, to cope with any of these crises here.
UCI: Mhmm.
Caller: So, a lot of us are struggling, you know, with all those issues, you know, related to COVID, stress, and everything, you know?
UCI: Yeah. Mhmm. Is there anything else you want people to know about your experience?
Caller: Well, my experience is that, you know, that being detained, you know, has, you know, affected my life greatly, you know. It has, you know, hurt my family, and, you know, basically, put my life in danger, you know, since I’m, you know, I’m diabetic. And thank God, you know, I didn’t catch the COVID, but, you know, a lot of people that were sick with diabetes did catch it, but they were released, you know, on the Zepeda except for, you know, just a few of us. And those are the ones that are left here, the [redacted] that weren’t eligible for the Zepeda Rivas lawsuit that we filed.
UCI: Mhmm.
Caller: So, it’s been really hard, you know, overall, you know, just being in this facility. You know, it’s been very hard.
UCI: Mhmm. I’m sorry to hear about that.
Caller: It was a [unintelligible], but I don’t have the link to it. If you know, if you can, you know, [unintelligible] you will find more about situation here.
UCI: Mhmm.
Caller: And they have a link, you know, where they have a page, you know, where it explains all about, you know, the people that are detained here. And how they’re trying to, you know, shut it down for–
UCI: Mhmm.
Caller: – you know, conditions that are here and the mistreatment of, you know, the medical and everything, you know, basically.
UCI: Mhmm. And I have one more question.
Caller: Uh-huh.
UCI: As someone who is diabetic, how has the healthcare changed since the pandemic?
Caller: Well, you know, it hasn’t really changed at all. You know, as far as now, you know, they give you, you know, masks, and then that’s pretty much it to wear around here. But other than that, you know, it’s the same basic care that they were, you know, giving you here, you know, for the past, you know.
UCI: Mhmm.
Caller: You’re still in contact. You’re still coming in, you know, not direct contact but close contact with, you know, with people that are coming in and out of jail, you know, from the streets to in custody.
UCI: Mhmm.
Caller: So, that’s pretty, you know, kind of frightening, you know?
UCI: Mhmm.
Caller: And the conditions is still, you know, pretty dirty, you know, and not so clean here. Even in the medical department, it’s pretty, you know, pretty sad, you know, the conditions.
UCI: Yeah. Was there anything else you would like to add?
Caller: You know, it’s just, you know, it was great suffering here, you know, during the pandemic and now, you know, with the COVID-19. So, even though we had the Johnson and Johnson, we are still afraid, you know, for our lives, you know. The new variant might, you know, we might catch it, or, you know, we just don’t know. So, we try to be as careful as possible, but sometimes you can’t avoid that, being in this place.
