Letter from Orange County Theo Lacy Jail, April 19, 2021, #395

This letter was written by a person incarcerated at Orange County Theo Lacy Jail.

Hello,

I’ve recently receive a letter from you asking to tell my story of how I’ve been coping with being in jail. While the pandemic has been doing its damage, while I’ve been in here.

I’ve been incarcerated since December 2020, but was incarcerated when the pandemic first hit here in Orange County’s Jail, in the city of Orange Theo Lacy facility. And I have to say, it’s been tough being incarcerated because we are the last to hear anything that’s been decided to be given to us in here, food wise, and visits along with any type of outside help from anyone.

I myself am a inmate of no wealth. My family are still in my life but are dealing with their illnesses that they have, which is diabetes, of both parents. I have a sister who is a disabled young woman who goes through dialysis every other day. My other brothers and sister have their own lives to be taking care of so I do my time without any financial support.

Yes I do draw and have been told I’m very good at it. Which I will be sending some to you. I myself was diagnosed positive COVID-19 back in December 2020 and the beginning of January 2021.

It was a real life struggle since at the time no one was able to get any type of visitation from family. I do speak to my family on the phone and have a wife who’s been diagnosed as well on the outside. She’s struggling with life on the outs financially so that is why I don't get to go to the commissary so I can buy other other food items that we don’t get free.

We eat three sack lunches that are not nearly as close to what calories we are supposed to get in here, nutritional wise. Having to be wearing face masks just about 24 hours at a time is really bothersome at times. You don’t get to breathe clearly.

Knowing that we should be wearing new clothes so we won’t be having to worry about catching COVID-19 again, and bed linen as well. We should be given all the opportunity at the chance to be able to get some type of compensation while we’re incarcerated. The beginning when it first hit, the hails we were given a goodie bag from the commissary because it was from people who donated money to the jails so we got something, but now they have stopped it.

While people are receiving their stimulus compensation cash we are in here with no chance at the stimulus. 1,400 has been given to everyone that’s not incarcerated. What do we get, nothing just three sack lunches which is very tiresome when we are given four slices of bread and a pack of lunch meat for us to eat three times a day.

We don’t get treated fairly as it is in by the deputies, why do we have practically starve on the food that’s being given to us. We are supposed to be six feet apart from one another. How are we supposed to do that when someone like me is in cell living and have a cellmate.

We can’t be six feet apart in a cell that’s the size of small restroom with two twin size beds in it with a desk. So I apologize to you if I sound a little irritated, but to cope with all this I turn to my artwork. As it is I’ve been diagnosed with bipolar, manic paranoia, anxiety disorders and I’m taking meds for all of it.

My artwork helps very much. I will be sending some artwork to you while we keep correspondence. What I do is trade stuff that I can get from other inmates who are more fortunate than I am for blank paper and pencils so I can draw. I sell my drawings here and there so I can try to buy commissary but people don’t want to pay for real good artwork in here.

I’ve been told that I can sell it for 50 dollars or more but that’s for my drawings that I do on handkerchiefs. I do portraits for people’s siblings and other art that people like. You know, love art, like flowers and hearts, lowrider art, cars, skulls, crosses, pretty much anything I could either see or find in magazine and kids cartoon coloring books.

My well being is not as good I would like it to be, being in jail, but I’m dealing with it. I’m diabetic myself and have high blood pressure which I’m taking meds for but it’s an everyday struggle in here. Especially when one’s around other people who aren’t as normal or sane as I am.

I’m not the smartest person in the world but there are people in here who talk to themselves and tend to want to harm themselves or harm me. It’s a little scary sometimes. I want to thank you for taking an interest in my story on the inside. Please feel free to ask me anything you want, I will be happy to answer your questions with honesty and sincerity.

I don’t have money to write as much but whenever you do write, I’ll do what I can to get back to you in a timely and respectable manner. May you enjoy the rest of your day.

Sincerely.

Letter from Orange County Theo Lacy Jail, April 19, 2021, #395

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