Incarcerated in a Pandemic

An Overview of What Incarcerated People Faced This Year

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the horrendous conditions in U.S. prisons. To better understand what is happening on the “inside,” we interviewed an individual currently incarcerated in Torrance County Detention Center in Estancia, New Mexico.

James, a father and artist, was incarcerated last year on a technical parole violation. At the height of the pandemic and just weeks away from finishing his parole, he incorrectly updated his new address and was sentenced to prison. At his sentencing, officials told James that he would be protected and safe from COVID-19. Instead, he found himself in a virus incubator.

James tested positive for COVID in November 2020. Upon receiving a positive test result, he and other inmates were transferred and quarantined in an abandoned building. The building had moldy vents, pipes leaking stagnant water, and flooded cells. No matter the severity of their symptoms, the inmates shared communal units, known as “death pods” by the correctional officers. None of the inmates received medical attention, not even aspirin for their symptoms.

“We were there for non-violent crimes, and we were treated like that.” - James

Instead of a two-week quarantine, officials kept James in the “death pods” for 54 days. He shared that Corrections Officers denied quarantined inmates’ phone, mail, and recreation access, leaving them nothing to do but lay around, sick, bored, and miserable. James recalls that they were lucky to be allowed two showers a week; if they were in the shower longer than 5 minutes, the guards threatened them with mace. There were no laundry facilities and no cleaning supplies for their units; it is highly probable that the lack of hygiene further spread the virus.

Inmates received punishment if they complained or requested treatment. James recounted the story of an inmate held in the quarantine facility for 60 days with no contact with his family. The inmate asked for mental health assistance, and 6-7 correctional officers responded by pulling him out of his cell, beating him, shooting him in the face with a pepper ball gun, and then taking away his lunch and dinner.

When James himself was too sick to get out of bed, a correctional officer started a physical altercation with him. Another officer tried to arrange a time to fight over the dispute physically.

In direct violation of their rights, the inmates were not allowed to file any grievances during this time. James likens the experience to being on death row.

“It was cruel and unusual punishment in the middle of a pandemic. When we were supposed to be protected, they put us in more danger.” - James

Out of the “death pod” but still incarcerated, James struggles with the coronavirus’s long-term physical and mental effects. He experiences severe headaches, lung pain, chronic asthma, and feels isolated from the world; he has no idea if his family is healthy. He endures threats and punishment from officers for giving interviews that expose the conditions within. The dozens of grievances he has filed are responded to months late and offer no solutions.

Despite all of this, James remains hopeful and dedicated. He knows his experience is not unique; thousands of prisoners across the country face the same abuses and inhumane conditions. He is currently involved in a lawsuit and is spending his time speaking with community organizers about the fight for prisoners’ rights and the option of early release. He believes public education is integral to achieving justice for incarcerated people.

James is to be released in November 2021. We hope the best for his health and anxiously await his release.