This letter was written by a person incarcerated at Soledad.
You sent me a card asking questions about conditions in here.
First I’m asking for you to read this, I mean please read this paragraph. I’m serving a life sentence for possession of a firearm, that’s it. I didn’t commit any other crime while in possession of the gun, and it is no longer a strike-able offense, but here I sit after 20 years.
The court even admits that all I did was unload the firearms so no one would get hurt the night of my arrest, but since I unloaded the firearms even though it was for the purpose of safety, exercising dominion over them while unloading them is possession of a firearm.
Now I’m no angel, but I do have one prison prior for robbery and ATT robbery. This is still only my second term. I’ve literally watched people get arrested, and get released three times for possession of a firearm. It is no longer a violent offense that you can receive a life term for, but here I sit, my cries fall on deaf ears.
They should have already released all non-violent three strikers, but here we sit waiting to catch COVID and die because of dire conditions.
We are receiving only one mask a week, for which is probably why we caught it in the first place. We don’t receive sanitizer or cleaning supplies for ourselves.
Also, I’m high risk medical. A cancer survivor and I’m housed in a gym filled with 200 other inmates that have tested positive for COVID-19. Double bunked and no social distancing.
Also we have been nine months with no visits from our family. We are lucky to get one phone call a week. It literally feels like we are all put into this gym with 200 other sick with COVID and if you make it, you make it. When we put in medical slips for stating we are having trouble breathing or coughing we will not be sent to outside hospital unless we collapse.
My bunky has been gone eight days. We don’t even know if he died or not. By the time you get sent to outside hospital it’s already too late. I have literally not been examined by a doctor, physically examined by a doctor in five years that I’ve been here at Soledad.
Please help me. If you could have an attorney read this, or at least talk to me for five minutes they would be shocked. Not only am I here for an illegal sentence, I’m might die of complications due to contracting COVID.
Sincerely.
