TagPersonal Hygeine

July 28, 2020

roaches, bird droppings, and mice in food among other unsanitary conditions; prisoners forced to clean for inspections and face retaliation and abuse from deputies for speaking out

Currently Incarcerated at SRJ
Anonymous (HU24)
28July

During inspections, they make the “podworkers” slave day in day out to cover up all the seen dirt-filled areas, waxing floors and door knobs.....Sergeants come in housing units angry, demanding all sorts of cleaning done to the entire housing unit overnight, and the deputies put their slave pod workers to work fast! Cleaning inside and even outside in 100-degree weather heat. Cleaning to injury...

Read Full Testimony
July 26, 2020

prisoner describes medical neglect and denial of testing for people with covid-19 symptoms, torturous conditions of infirmary and other abuses

Currently Incarcerated at SRJ
Anonymous
26July

Everyone in the hole had COVID-19. We know we did, even though we were all denied tests. They brought someone to the hole one day, and then took him back to his pod later that same day. But having come to that area where everyone else was infected, he was obviously exposed. Two days later, he was returned to the hole, showing symptoms of COVID-19. Who knows who else he may have spread it to.

Read Full Testimony
May 30, 2020

prisoner speaks out about jail conditions including covid-19, grievances, retaliation, sanitation; advocates for more genuine rehabilitation

Currently Incarcerated at SRJ
Eric Wayne (BAK513, HU6D)
30May

When you advertise the truth through grievances, attorneys, etc. Alameda County Sheriff’s Office deputies, sergeants, lieutenants use a tactic of retaliation towards you – telling inmates false information about you or other methods. This has been going on for decades at Santa Rita Jail.

Read Full Testimony
May 7, 2020

former prisoner tests positive for covid-19 and suspects he contracted it from medical housing unit in jail; ACSO denies emergency housing after his release

Formerly Incarcerated at SRJ
Darryl Geyer
07May

I believe that I contracted COVID-19 while in the OPHU of Santa Rita Jail, as that is the only source where I had contact with individuals who had COVID-19, and that the sheriff failed to take the necessary steps to protect me from contracting COVID-19, failed to do the required testing, and failed to take action, well within the sheriff's power and control, to even refer me to emergency housing...

Read Full Testimony
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.

Read Full Testimony
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...

Read Full Testimony
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.

Read Full Testimony
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...

Read Full Testimony
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.

Read Full Testimony
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.

Read Full Testimony
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...

Read Full Testimony
April 14, 2020

concerns over reintegration of “cured” covid-19 patients into housing units amidst lack of access to cleaning and PPE

Currently Incarcerated at SRJ
Anonymous
14April

They passed out disposable masks a week ago, but have not received new ones. Staff will come around offering cleaning supplies during pod time, but often, inmates don’t want to use them since they look very dirty and have just been used on plenty of other cells. Additionally, many folks are busy making calls during pod time, so they don’t get the chance to accept the cleaning supplies.

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

Categories

Tags

& 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