This story was told by a person incarcerated at California City.
UCI: Yeah, I can imagine. And how have you been coping with the crisis since I know, like you said, you haven’t gotten much time out of your cell?
Caller: I’m not. That’s why I try to work. I try to work. I’m a kitchen worker, so I try to stay out as much as I can. I try to find things to get out of the cell. Try to move around the damn cell, and it’s a little space, though. I try to keep, we try to keep ourselves busy either drawing, reading, exercising, you know, playing games with your cellie, play card games and stuff. That’s really the only thing we can do.
UCI: I see. And what would have made this situation at your facility better?
Caller: Man, at least a little bit of program or something, like something at least. If they would’ve gave us those tablets at least, like to come through, those would’ve came through, to have those visits or email or people or see what’s going on. There’s times where we couldn’t even get on the phone. So, how do we know if someone’s good or not – our people are good if we can’t talk to them?
We could write, but even store, sometimes we can’t be in there. You know, they would – you’re going to run out of stamps or writing tablets and stuff like that. Not everybody’s lucky like that. If we don’t come out, how is somebody going to get something like that?
UCI: Yeah.
Caller: At least a phone call. At least a phone call. If they would’ve gave us phone calls during that time.
UCI: So, how long did they restrict phone calls?
Caller: Oh, man. How long was it? How long was it? I think it was like, I’m not sure. I think it was like three months at least, so like three months when it was, like, bad, I guess, when it had just started.
UCI: Yeah, I see.
Caller: I think it was like three months, we just had to write.