I just out of Santa Rita jail. I’ve been here since the beginning of the year. I just got caught up in the system. I’m here on a probation violation. I’m not a menace to society or anything.
They were bringing in people without properly screening them. They were just putting them in the pod. Since there was such a high influx of inmates, they were just kicking them right out. So I ended up getting a cellie who I believe was probably infected with COVID. He was only in my cell for about 24 hours. I could tell there was something wrong with the guy because he was sweating and he didn’t want to come out to eat or anything. He said he was just kicking dope, and I was like, “Are you sure that’s what it is, man? You should probably contact the medical staff.” But he was like, “No, I’ll be alright.” A few hours later, they kicked him out.
So they were doing this at the beginning. They weren’t properly quarantining people. They were just putting people in our cells and getting them out. Basically, they put at risk all the lives of people in there because they’re pumping people in there and pumping them right back out.
Two weeks later, I started feeling really cold and immediately knew there was something wrong with me. I rarely get sick. So I went directly to Deputy Whitlock – he was the officer on duty that day – and I was like, “Hey man, I know there’s something wrong with me. I need to be seen by medical staff.” So I ended up getting quarantined because I tested positive for COVID. While I was there, there were no medical services given. I requested a blanket through my tablet – never given to me. I told them I was really cold. There was no empathy at all for us. We were left to die.
So I ended up getting quarantined because I tested positive for COVID. While I was there, there were no medical services given. I requested a blanket through my tablet – never given to me. I told them I was really cold. There was no empathy at all for us. We were left to die.
I don’t think, for a simple probation violation, I should be subjected to those living conditions. The place was deplorable. They weren’t properly sanitizing the cells where they put potentially infected people. I’m going to get the virus because you didn’t even clean up after the last guy that was in here. The way they handled the whole situation was horrible.
So Santa Rita could keep their numbers low, this is the trick they did. They knew I tested positive, so what they should have done right then and there is quarantine the whole section. But what they ended up doing was wait until I was done with my two week quarantine, then quarantined the pod and tested them after those two weeks. So by then, if you were sick, it was going to be out of your system. This was all to keep their numbers low.
There were various things they weren’t handling properly. They weren’t giving out proper cleaning supplies. We’re given a four-inch toilet brush. If you put that brush in the toilet, your hand is in the toilet. Diluted solution is used for all the pods. We’re using the same supplies. The same mops aren’t regularly changed out. It’s as if I grabbed a dirty towel and I told you, “Here, clean this up.” You have some oil on this rag, so you’re just going to be smearing oil. So that’s basically what they’re doing. They’re contaminating the whole place.
So Santa Rita could keep their numbers low, this is the trick they did. They knew I tested positive, so what they should have done right then and there is quarantine the whole section. But what they ended up doing was wait until I was done with my two week quarantine, then quarantined the pod and tested them after those two weeks. So by then, if you were sick, it was going to be out of your system. This was all to keep their numbers low.
They make a big fuss, saying that they just ordered thousands of dollars’ worth of supplies. And you got the sheriff in the news, saying that they need all this money to hire new staff. But there’s really nothing being done for the inmates. I don’t know where this inmate welfare fund goes but it’s definitely not going to the inmates. I can tell you this from a first-person perspective. They’re basically penny-pinching. They not really worried about the inmates at all.
If you’re a law enforcement officer, your job is to enforce the law. One of those laws is that I am innocent until proven guilty. So everyone sitting in the jail, unless they’ve been convicted, is innocent. So treat them as such. There’s a lot of bias going on in there. They treat you like you’re scum. It makes it a hell-hole for anyone living in there during COVID or any situation.