This letter was written by a person incarcerated at Chowchilla.
We also have issues with the mental health patients who need a higher level of care. There are inmates who are housed in the Enhanced Outpatient Program (EOP) that will never be able to live in general population, and I do not say this lightly.
I have been incarcerated for 33 years, and have watched a lot of these things happen. These inmates are easily recognizable by looking at their prior record of when they were released at other times into general population. However, the head of the psychiatry department, sometimes against the advice of the assigned clinician, insists on continually placing these inmates into general population when all other attempts have failed.
Some of these inmates are violent, but that does not make a difference. The inmates in general population are not equipped to deal with these inmates. But they force us to house with these inmates at the risk of our safety.
These are just a few issues here at CCWF and I am sure at other prisons also. I feel that based on the medical care and other issues, my incarceration has been abusive.
When a person is subject to less than adequate medical care and cannot protect themselves from a medical crisis, cannot protect themselves from the threat of another inmate some of which have serious mental health issues and the potential to be violent, cannot protect themselves from a worldwide contagious disease that has killed millions because there is not enough room to social distance, then there needs to be some serious prison reform.
I really hope this letter gives you some insight as to what we go through in the prison system, I also pray that you can help us.
Thank you so much for your time and a listening ear. May God bless you and yours.
Sincerely,
Anonymous