This story was told by a person incarcerated at Donovan.
UCI: How are you today, sir?
Caller: I’m doing great.
UCI: That’s good to hear. So what facility are you currently housed at?
Caller: I- You know, it’s hard to understand you. Can you say that again?
UCI: Which facility are you currently housed at?
Caller: Oh, I’m at Donovan State Prison.
UCI: Okay. And what has the COVID situation been like at your facility?
Caller: Well, you know what, on this yard facility D, it’s been great. We’ve been getting tested, we got our vaccine shots. We’ve been, like, on modified programs where we don’t come out the showers and phone. But that- we’re on phase two now, so we’re having yard and we’re- you know, everything’s pretty good.
It’s not as bad as what I hear on the other yards. And we’re, we’re doing pretty good. There hasn’t been that many cases here. So, yeah, I’m pretty happy about the situation to have us here. It’s- they’ve been taken care of us in this yard, the D facility.
UCI: Okay. And so you said people are getting vaccinated, so they have offered everyone there the vaccination?
Caller: Yes, sir. Yes, everybody’s got offered. Some guys were kind of hesitant. But the majority of people that I know of inmates here, they all got vaccinated. And then they let guys think about it, and then they end up getting- most of them get- the ones who were hesitant, they end up getting their vaccination, but there’s still a few there that haven’t got it.
UCI: Okay. So to your knowledge, do any members of the population at Donovan currently have COVID? If so, how many?
Caller: Okay, well, see, we have three buildings on the yard. And our building- I just had a friend of mine, he was spitting up blood and coughing up blood, so they took him away, and we don’t know if he had COVID. They put his cell on quarantine.
UCI: Mhmm.
Caller: And they do a 14-day quarantine.
And I’ve been asking about him, and he hasn’t come back yet, so we don’t know if he was positive. And then, well, we don’t come out with the rest of- other buildings. They’re keeping us separate. So buildings will go to yard by themselves.
Yes, I might have to call you back because I only have five minutes of free time, because I called you on a free call.
UCI: Okay.
Caller: I might have to call you- okay. So anyway, we just heard that there was a COVID positive at 25 block- that’s another building. And then we had seven staff members positive for COVID. That’s just a rumor. I don’t know how positive- how true that is.
UCI: Okay.
Caller: Yeah. But the one- my buddy, he did catch something. He coughed up blood, and he- they took him away. And I- we haven’t seen- it’s been like a week already now. So- and his cell is still on quarantine. But besides that, it’s been pretty okay. Nothing really bad.
UCI: Okay. But thank you for that. Thank you. I have a couple more questions for you, but we’re running out of time. So I just want to thank you for calling and sharing your story.
