TagDeputies

July 16, 2020

people in jail “not being tested at all”; cleaning, PPE, and social distancing measures not being taken

Currently Incarcerated at SRJ
Anonymous (HU4)
16July

I've asked nurses, Deputy Chong, Deputy Olson, and Deputy Gainer, but they say they don't do coronavirus testing and they won't give us any information or sick call forms. I've been sneezing and have a stuffy nose, but I don't know if they are symptoms of coronavirus because they won't test me. People aren't being tested at all. They're trying to keep things secret here, not letting everyone know...

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May 22, 2020

featured testimony: prisoner contracts COVID-19 and experiences isolation and medical neglect, explains how jail is using a “trick” of waiting 2 weeks to test and quarantine housing units to keep covid-19 number of cases low: “They treat you like you’re scum”

Formerly Incarcerated at SRJ
Angelo Valdez
22May

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...

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April 29, 2020

after surviving filthy cell, medical neglect, and no shower for 2 weeks, jail punishes covid-19 positive prisoner with solitary confinement for questioning placement in a non-covid housing unit due to assault threats from other prisoners who fear getting virus

Currently Incarcerated at SRJ
Ocie Johnson (HU7 —> HU8 —> HU7)
29April

On April 15, 2020, at 9:30am, the doctor came by to tell me that I would be finished quarantining that day. ...Around 11 a.m. or noon, staff let me out to shower, but the showers were still filthy — I considered them unusable. At this point, I had not showered since April 4, 2020. I also still had the same clothes and same underwear I had been wearing for over 10 days.

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April 28, 2020

FEATURED TESTIMONY: DEPUTIES RETALIATE AGAINST PRISONERS for speaking out against ACSO budget proposal

Currently Incarcerated at SRJ
Anonymous
28April

At 8:52AM on Tuesday morning, during pod time, an individual was speaking to other prisoners about the Sheriff’s proposed budget increase and his opposition to it. ACSO Deputy Perry approached them and said, “Man, cut it out! Why y’all hating on my money?” The deputy then grabbed his nightstick and began swinging it around, instructing the whole pod to “lock the hell down” and telling everyone to...

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April 20, 2020

jail’s “cleaning service” is seriously inadequate, unsanitary and unsafe conditions persist

Currently Incarcerated at SRJ
Troy Powell (HU6D)
20April

Neither the showers nor the day room appeared to have been cleaned–in fact, the showers hadn’t been cleaned in over a week and smelled like urine. There was still blood and various other stains on the day room carpet. I fear that Santa Rita Jail will tell the media that they are following all protocol by hiring this cleaning service, but I believe I could have cleaned the pod much better myself...

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April 18, 2020

prisoner describes the horrors of conditions and treatment after testing positive for covid-19

Formerly Incarcerated at SRJ
Leonard Wakefield (HU7E —> HU8C)
18April

He immediately slapped hand cuffs on me, and twisted my arm, and dragged me to Housing Unit 8C, even though I was feeling so poorly. When I arrived at Housing Unit 8C, the first cell they put me in was so filthy, with garbage and dirt all over the cell that I told them if they forced me to be in that cell, they would have to put me on suicide watch.

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April 18, 2020

featured testimony: covid-19 positive prisoner put into solitary as punishment for questioning being moved back into housing unit while still symptomatic, reports rampant medical neglect: “This is torture”

Currently Incarcerated at SRJ
Cedric Henry (HU7 —> 8A)

I had not seen medical people or received medical attention since being placed here. I was having a hard time breathing. I had bad diarrhea, I had a shooting headache. I still had a bad cough. I had shivers and chills. One night, I had such trouble breathing I had a panic attack. I’m breathing but it did not feel like air was going on. And I can’t submit a medical request slip, I have no way of...

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April 17, 2020

prisoner details a wide range of horrific conditions: lack of sanitation, medical neglect, misinformation put out by jail, exposing covid-19 positive prisoners to others, and more

Currently Incarcerated at SRJ
Eric Wayne (BAK513, HU6D)
17April

Inmates often use their own body soap to clean the cell due to insufficient cleaning supplies. On April 20, 2020, the only supplies we received were a broom without the handle (just the bristles part) and a toilet brush. When we asked Deputy Whitlock for better supplies and a proper broom, he responded that we could "sweep on our knees" and did not provide us with additional supplies.

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April 17, 2020

only watered-down disinfectant and toilet brush provided — no rags or mop provided; no wipes, soap, or masks in over a week

Currently Incarcerated at SRJ
Troy Powell (BGN964, HU6D)

SRJ hasn’t handed out hand wipes, masks, or soap to his pod in over a week. Inmates have never received gloves. There is only one night deputy that comes around spraying the sink, toilet, and door handles of their cells with bleach, but that deputy had been away (either sick or on vacation) for a while and just came back.

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April 16, 2020

deputies attempt to move COVID-19 positive prisoner back into housing unit while he is still feeling ill

Currently Incarcerated at SRJ
Cedrick Henry (AVA752, HU2)
16April

Cedrick tested positive for COVID-19 on April 8, 2020, and was transferred yesterday to HU2, which is the "hole", because when the deputies came yesterday to remove him from quarantine, he informed them that he was still not feeling well, and did not want to be moved in with a roommate who was not infected, out of concern that he would transmit the virus to another person.

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April 15, 2020

symptomatic prisoner exposed to several people who have tested positive is told he is negative and denied a second test

Currently Incarcerated at SRJ
Anonymous
15April

He was starting to get a fever, chills, and body aches. He started losing his sense of smell and taste, which would continue for two weeks....He finally went to OPHU, where they put him in an isolation cell with a gurney set up on the floor. Peter was tested for COVID-19 on April 5 by taking a swab inside his nose, but the test came back negative. He was confused by this, as he had all the same...

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April 14, 2020

social distancing impossible, lack of sanitation and cleaning, unsanitary showers

Currently Incarcerated at SRJ
Eric Wayne (BAK513, HU6D)

During split tier pod time, staying 6 feet away from everyone is not possible. During pod time, if anyone in his pod has to go to the bathroom, they are forced to urinate in the pod shower, as deputies lock the cell doors, which have the toilets. This has always been the case and creates highly unsanitary showers – someone even defecated in the shower back when he was in HU 7.

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April 13, 2020

infirmary filthy with blood, mucus, and feces; infirmary phones broken resulting in complete isolation

Currently Incarcerated at SRJ
Anonymous
13April

This was Elena’s second total time in the infirmary since arriving at SRJ and she said this time, the conditions were the same as the first: blood on the mattress, mucus on the walls, filthy floor, feces stain on blanket, etc. When she requested a new blanket or mattress, she was denied. The infirmary seemed especially crowded – Elena and Michelle had to share a room in there as well. Elena tried...

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Learn how you can take action to demand more releases from Santa Rita to protect the health and safety of our community

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& Public Defender Alameda County Sheriff's Office Cleaning Supplies COVID-19 Testing Declaration from Lawsuit Deputies District Attorney Jail Giving Misinformation Kitchen and Quality of Food Lack of Social Distancing Legal Services Lockdowns Medical Care Medically At-Risk Prisoners Outpatient Housing Unit Personal Hygeine Personal Protective Equipment Programming and Pod Time Retaliation Use of Solitary Confinement