This letter was written by a person incarcerated at Wasco.
Dear PrisonPandemic,
Fortunately this letter did find me in good health, I received your letter while in the county jail. The day I got your letter, that night I got called for the bus ride to Wasco State Prison. Now as far county was going, we had no visits all we got was two five minute phone calls every Monday. Majority of the inmates did court through video.
The food in county jail sucks we all got sack lunches breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Cereal in the morning, then processed meat for lunch and dinner. All cold meals which is not cool. We would get three hours of dayroom and showers and phones all in one little section of the jail, then back to our cells for the next 21 hours. And we hope for good cell mates cause that’s a long time to be with two other people that you just met.
Now let jump back real quick before we were housed in our six man cell with only two other inmates. We had to go through (quarantine) for two weeks which was 23 and a half hours lockdown, half an hour each day to shower or use the phone. Then back in the cell like a caged-up animal. Boy did that suck.
Then after the two weeks is up, you get housed to the six man, eight man, 60 man, and/or two man cells. Depending on your current jail status and your crimes, is how you’re housed. So 60 man tanks are for people who are less likely to be trouble making, then it goes eight man, six man, two man. Then if you’re a really bad guy or a “J” cat which is a crazy guy with mental issues, you are isolated 23-hour lockdown.
Then on top of that, deputies are some real assholes, excuse my French. So life pretty much sucks in the county, but I guess that’s what happens when you don’t obey the law. So, now I’m out of that dreadful place and on to a better place which is Wasco State Prison.
Just like in county, we do two weeks of quarantine which is not bad cause I have a good cell mate. We give each other positive affirmations, and have great conversations on how to better our lives upon our return to society. Now in prison we get breakfast hot meal sacks for lunch and hot dinner, way better than county. We get temperature checks every day, COVID swabs every week, we get showers every other day, and a 15-minute free phone once a week.
Plus the correctional officers are way more respectful, they don’t call you foul names or try and push their weight around. They understand that we are all grown men. Yeah we made mistakes but people are subject to change. They don’t belittle us inmates as county deputies do. Well today is April 21, 2021. I’ve been in quarantine for eight days with six more to go, then we will be housed in a dorm setting.
Fortunately I’m not a trouble maker so I’ll be housed in the hundred man dorms with a strict 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. program. We get movies, showers, pinochle tournaments at which I’m fairly good at. So before I start to end this letter I’ll jump back to county, where I got my Johnson & Johnson vaccine shot and my lil card that says I’ve been vaccinated on April 8, 2021, and swabbed every week in county, but prison is way better in terms of comfort and safety.
So on another note, it is good to know someone cares about us inmates, cause just because we’re in jail or prison, doesn’t necessarily mean we’re bad people. As for me every day is a learning process. I try to better my thoughts and actions so I can be a productive member in society. So by the time you get this letter and write back, which I hope you do, I should be in the dorms, and I could let you know how my living situations are.
So I would love to hear a lil about who you are. What is life like out there on your side of town? Is the food good? How’s college? Is it fun? So I’m gonna end this letter, how you started yours, which is I hope it reaches you in good health. Life can be struggle but we have to learn how to cope with it and push forward. Best wishes to you and yours from me and mine.
P.S. I’m enclosing a copy of my vaccination record card for our historical purposes. P.S.S. Don’t be a stranger, I would love to hear from you just as you want to hear about me. Sorry for the sloppy writing, these golf pencils are so short and hard to write with.
