This story was told by a person incarcerated at Chowchilla.
Caller: So my room – my room is so cold, it be freezing.
UCI: Mm-hmm.
Caller: And you know, they – my room used to didn’t be like that. And then we – we in the room by ourselves, so therefore, we isolated in the room. And then when we come out to the dayroom, we can have one more person with us, but that’s every 24 hours. We – we might get 30 minutes or – or an hour for every 24 hours.
So that can mean we locked up isolated by ourselves. And we still isolated because we can’t talk to the other inmates, you know, like we used to. We used to have, programs and stuff like with – we had – what do you call it – a recreation director.
UCI: Mm-hmm.
Caller: And she used to do activities with us, you know, with – because – because we’re not on the yard, so we can’t hardly – there’s nothing for us to do, you know, up inside there because it is a medical center. But – but that’s why they got her where she could do activities and stuff with us.
But, so, since this lockdown, she don’t do the activities with us no more. So we sure do miss that, yeah, because we always, you know, together.
UCI: Mm-hmm.
Caller: Because just like a little – little – just like a – you know, there’s not a – there’s not a whole bunch of people like – like on the yard, so we like – we have our own little community.
UCI: Mm-hmm.
Caller: And it’s just rough.
UCI: Mm-hmm. Yeah. And how have you been – is there anything you’ve been doing to, you know, help cope with the reduced recreation or, you know?
Caller: You know, I like to get – I like to crochet. You know, like – like my family, they – they buy me crocheting stuff, you know, so I usually crochet and make the girl’s purses and stuff, and I get – I give them to them one way or another, and the hats and stuff, you know? Kind of cover their head.
UCI: Mm-hmm.
Caller: And I’m trying to learn how to do the earmuffs. You know, I just learned how to crochet up in here, so a lot of the girls, they be wanting me to make them things, so that – that helps me. You know, I’m – I’m a giver, I’m a giver, you know? I like to give people things.
UCI: Mm-hmm.
Caller: So, yeah, because I see – I see their smile. So they smile, make me smile.
