2020-4-28
We were given a bar of antibacterial soap today. This brings us to three bars total.
2020-4-29
C/o’s are finally enforcing social distancing by sending people to their cells if they fail to maintain social distance. The upper dayroom was shut down because a group of people were all crowding around one table playing cards. The same group of people who have been ignoring social distancing for the past month.
2020-4-30
The DOC is now allowing people who go to E unit isolation to take their JPay player with them. There is no word on if people who were already in E unit before the change was enacted have been given access to their JPay players.
There is nearly a dozen kitchen workers from TRU currently in E unit isolation and an unknown number on quarantine in their cells.
2020-5-1
JPay has put forward a number of things to help incarcerated people stay in touch with our families and not be so bored during the lockdown.
Our people can schedule a free video visit once a week. They’ve added movie rentals and are giving us one free movie each week. They’ve given away three free app games. And now they’ve added a catalog of free ebooks. While I still maintain that JPay is evil and a terrible service provider, at least in this they are actually trying to do the right thing.
Just watched the governor’s address. I am glad the state is putting forward such a cautious plan. Without a vaccine, social distancing and herd immunity are the only ways to interrupt the spread of disease. His plan takes this into account. I hope it works.
2020-5-2
I didn’t notice any codes or stop movements today, which I thought was weird. So I asked my cellie. Apparently we had four codes today and I have gotten so used to them calling “Stop all movement! Clear the breeze way! Staff remain in place!” on the PA that I didn’t even notice.
2020-5-4
May the Fourth be with you!
While watching all the Star Wars movies I feel acutely the ways I am disconnected from my friends and my family of choice. All the ways I need others, but don’t have them in my life.
I have not received an email from anyone since the 30th and my next most recent message is from the 26th.
I make three phone calls a week. One to Megan (The Awesome) and one to DRW as a part of my trans activism. The third is a “dumb luck” call. We get two fee phone calls a week and I use them to try and call people I haven’t spoken to in a while because they don’t put money on the phone. Usually I can’t get ahold of anyone and end up returning to my cell feeling defeated and discouraged.
It’s been over five years since I had a in person visit and I just had my first ever video visit last month because it was free and Megan (The Awesome) happened to get on my visiting list last year.
The outside world has been social distancing for the last two months. My life has been socially distanced for over a decade.
2020-5-6
Sixteen inmates are currently confirmed cases of COVID-19, one in the past week.
More and more people on my unit are applauding at 7 PM each evening at the prompting of the TV. They didn’t understand that the prompt to applaud is for healthcare workers. Now that they know this, people are getting into it. Nothing too loud that may upset the c/o’s, just a little subdued show of thanks for the work they do to keep our friends and families out there safe.
Amber Fayefox Kim 