TagProgramming and Pod Time

jail lying about amount of testing and not testing correctly leading to inaccurate results; only in compliance during inspections; retaliating against whistle-blowers

The most important thing is for them to know is that the jail is lying to people about how much they are testing. They are not offering the test to everyone. Since March 2020 they have not offered the test to every inmate, so not every inmate has been tested. They are not getting accurate results. They are not doing the procedures the right way.

jail lying about conditions and covid-19 cases, dangerous medical neglect, abuse by deputies, disgusting sanitary conditions: “Every human life here is based on a dollar”

Every human life here is based on a dollar. It doesn't matter if you're spending money on this GTL network or buying these overpriced canteen items. People are being denied the full medical treatment they need. Please share this information with the news and anyone you can. The jail is providing false information to the media. The more people whose eyes are opened to conditions like this the...

deputy rocha “prancing around the entire jail, with no PPE or any precautions, and was exposing the entire jail all while denying he was sick”

They act like we are animals. We are all losing our minds crammed in our tiny cells for 23 hours a day, as if they are cages. We have only one hour a day that we can leave. The rest of the time we are stuck. It is torture. Now with COVID-19 on top of everything, we are being given death sentences. All this, without even being proven guilty.

prisoner repeatedly harassed by deputy; reports denial of testing, inappropriate use of strip searches, solitary confinement, and other abuses

The public should know that inmates inside are suffering from our lack of medical help, dental care, food, yard time—we get yard two times a week to see daylight, only 4 hours at best. They should know that there are unsanitary conditions and a lot of police misconduct.

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

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.

prisoner is tested for covid-19 and moved into housing unit for positive prisoners, but not told the result of his test or given any other information

...The jail moved me into Housing Unit 8C, which the other inmates tell me is for those inmates who have tested positive. The jail itself has told me nothing. No doctor, no nurse, no deputy has told me what is going on. No doctor, no nurse, no deputy has told me I have tested positive for the Coronavirus. No doctor, no nurse, no deputy has told me what will happen or how long I will stay here.

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

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.

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”

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...

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

hiv-positive prisoner placed with symptomatic prisoners; has to use their own shampoo to clean cells

Amanda is HIV positive, and thus was on edge the entire time at SRJ – fearing she would contract COVID-19 due to SRJ’s protocol. When she arrived at HU24, it was already under yellow tagged quarantine. At one point, in her cell, she notes that a woman close to her was coughing hysterically, fueling Amanda’s concerns. When she went to court, staff combined hers and other units. Another inmate...

deputies tell prisoners they are “safer inside jail” while no sufficient sanitation or cleaning is occurring

He reported that while the last three weeks, on Fridays, the Sheriff’s Department has passed out soap, they did not pass out soap this week. He was also told by a Sheriff’s deputy that he is safer in jail, because being on the outside results in two risks: contracting Coronavirus and re-offending (again, he is pretrial).

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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