March 27, 2020
By @imagin8ion
So, I’ve worked in the prison system.
I’ve worked in a prison *during* an outbreak of a contagious disease.
Without being overly specific, I worked in a state facility when there was an outbreak of norovirus.
This isn’t going to be a crazily detailed thread. It’s simple.
Virus+close quarters=bedlam.
It spread like wildfire through the inmates, and of course, staff were not exempt.
Staff were also not prepared.
Our DOC was notorious for understaffing anyway, placing increased burden on the facility and staff and placing everyone at greater risk.
Why? Always the same concern. Budget, budget, budget.
(A general belief inmates aren’t people didn’t help)
The burden was especially great on the kitchen crew. Most other work details could be stopped and inmates semi-isolated in 2-man cells… dorms were harder.
Regardless, the kitchen keeps chugging no matter what.
That was my realm. (Yay, me)
Before long, everybody was skeleton crew, inmates and staff alike.
We had sick inmates getting dragged out of bed at two in the morning to make breakfast that we would send out on Styrofoam trays throughout the yard.
Staff were bringing the bug home to their families.
The news reported on the outbreak, but luckily it never rose to the point of the public being confronted with difficult choices.
We cleaned like crazy and recovered.
So the public barely yawned about it.
The public is quite often… a bit self-focused and shortsighted.
That week or two showed us just what kind of trouble we would be in if the virus didn’t respond as well as it did to our efforts and if we didn’t have quite as many bodies as we had to spread around.
As it was, it was brutal enough. Dangerous enough. And yes, most of us got sick.
What we are dealing with now is unprecedented.
This isn’t a bad tummy bug.
It’s not just a flu.
And it kicked our asses.
We would’ve lost control if half the inmates weren’t too sick to riot. Period.
So I hope that helps what I’m about to say next make easy sense.
I believe it is time to begin coordinating the release of all non-violent/low-level offenders and those who are within 6 months of completing their sentence.
This will better allow facilities to more *humanely* protect & maintain control over higher-level offenders who can not be released.
And before anyone says “release everyone!”
Uh… nope. You’re out of your mind. I’m sorry, I hate the prison system too, but some monsters belong caged.
But in order to maintain order, we must grant freedom when we can afford to. To delay only costs us more in the long run.
And though I definitely approach this from an inmate advocacy point, I also view it from a public health standpoint.
Society all too easily forgets about the microcosms of itself that are behind walls in most major communities in America.
It does so at its own grave peril.
Anybody want to hear the story of how if I, by myself, hadn’t stood up to a DOC Lt., an entire prison yard would’ve been fed on dirty trays?
You just heard it. Read it again.
The US prison system is not ready for this pandemic.
I don’t have to know shit else to know that much.
Pls understand how few staff stand up, esp under times of great stress where there is pressure to fall in line & do what you’re told in a paramilitary environment.
Pls understand that tho other staff were often in agreement w/me, I often spoke *alone*, even when it was SERIOUS.
Pls understand how much easier this will go if we don’t have massive overcrowding conditions run by a staff that will inevitably shrink as illness cycles through.
Some staff should be at home in isolation literally being preserved right now, and MANY inmates should be released.