This letter was written by a person incarcerated at Corcoran.
Hello,
Happy holidays, I hope all this well with you. I received your flyer info from a friend on the outside. I’m not sure if it is too late to submit and share my short story of the COVID pandemic during my time here in solitary confinement. As well, if you need any more feedback info on the situation in here or in general about life in prison, I’m your man.
I’ve been in prison for 25-plus years. I was 15 years old when I got arrested for my crime.
Oh yeah, is your hotline still accepting collect calls? I can’t call at the moment because on the 17th we was placed on quarantine for 14 days. Yeah, it sucks.
Well, thank you for your time and you have my permission to post my story if you wish, stay safe.
P.S. I hope I made some sense in my story. I’m not a great writer, as you can tell, but that won’t stop me from shedding light.
***
Dear friend, this is my brief story of the prison COVID pandemic,
Today is December 23rd, 2020, and my sixth day on quarantine lockdown. It so, so, so sucks, can’t even call my loved ones for Christmas. That’s how it’s been like to be inside during these times. Much adversity, uncertainty, and a whole lot of anxiety. In the 25-plus years that I been incarcerated, I have not spent so much time just worrying like heck. Day and night I’m thinking if COVID-19 has killed any of my loved ones or friends. Everybody I talk to inside here has the same exact concern.
Since I learn of this virus, COVID-19 spreading fast all over the world. This was back in December 2019. As a typical person in prison, we watch a lot of news, that said eventually COVID-19 hit the U.S. cities like an atomic bomb. Dark sad times followed.
As all this was happening in the outside, I sat in my cell and braced myself to what’s to come in prison. I recall 11 months ago there was no active cases of COVID-19 in this yard or prison. I’m housed in a yard which is the Security Housing Unit, SHU, and ASU, Administrated Segregation Units, in other words, solitary confinement.
Six months ago COVID-19 popped its ugly head onto this yard. And we was made to wear cheap mask that made your face itch. Fast forward to the present, on this yard, COVID has spread like a wildfire.
COVID-19 has a safe haven in prison. I bet you people in prison will be the very last to get the COVID-19 vaccine shot. At least since the rise of COVID on this yard, they gave us finally good quality mask.
We are isolated and confined to our cells, yet I’m seeing friends in here get taken away to designated blocks that house the dying and sick COVID inmates.
Now the lack of communication with our families has been hard to cope with. No visits have made it difficult on my mother, harder than ever in any way. I was so lucky, though, that before they shut down and halted visits in January 2020, I had the ample opportunity to see my mother and stepdad. But I wonder afterwards if that would be the last time I see them?
That’s part of the uncertainty and anxiety that I speak of. I hate that prison officials can’t grasp that communication with our loved ones is healthy and vital for all. They have the money to allow video visitation, but they rather see us suffer.
On the flip side of this pandemic, I remain strong and positive and motivated like a torch. I learn to be way more grateful and appreciative these days. I try to make the best of my situation. I stay active and busy. I write to cope with my stress and anxiety.
So if anybody would like to ask me questions feel free to ask and get in contact with me. With this said, stay positive, motivated, and stay safe!
Peace.
P.S. You have my permission to post this!
