Jeffery Polar: Coronavirus and people with cpap machines in GBCI

[UPDATE: they made a similar move in Waupun. Anonymous note to follow.

UPDATE 2: staff at GBCI are punishing people who use the machines by taking away rec time]

JEFFERY POLAR (375899)  -Green Bay

Date: 4/2/2020 11:59:31 PM

Subject: Coronavirus and people with cpap machines in GBCI

So Green Bay Corr. Inst. did a bunch of moving inmates around to make room for people who get sick and need to be quarantined.

They have a building called the Treatment Center which consists of three floors. The top floor is designated for records and social workers offices. The bottom floor is designated for people with "special needs", I'm not sure what "special needs" means.

Now here is what I don't understand. The second floor has three hallways. The middle hallway consists of dental, and medical. The left hallway is now the "sick" or "quarantine" hallway. The right hallway is where they are housing inmates with cpap machines.

Updates from inside Columbia Correctional Institution

These are statements regarding COVID-19 from people incarcerated at Columbia Correctional Institution. We will continuously update this document, with the newest information at the top.

Other than putting us on lockdown nothing has changed in regards to cleanliness.

• we were offered the two free phone calls for one week this week the computer controlled system isn't allowing it.

• the problem with allowing already arrogant incarcerated people to self regulate if they think they are sick, they are afraid to be quarantined so they will be sick and just pass it on. And some of the guys are so paranoid they scream medical emergency when they sneeze (multiple times a day screaming medical emergency).

Columbia Hunger Striker Demands Met! Medical Staff Quitting at High Rate

We received a message from Damani Nantambu. Staff at CCI finally acknowledged his hunger strike and agreed to get him treatment. He is suspending the protest, but will resume if what they promised is not delivered.

He also reports that 6 nurses quit last month and more have put in notice due to Warden Novak's policies.

Damani's full message:

"I just wanted to let you know that I ended the hunger strike (the psychologist came to see me 10-days after the fact, then told me she was not going to do the Paper work since I agreed to eat).I found one of my hunger strike log sheets in The trash,which told me that they were trying, to undermine the hunger strike, by Not fully documenting it. I send you a copy, once I make them.

"Death is here" report of continued CCI staff hostility causing more deaths

We have collected a number of new letters reporting on events and conditions at Columbia Correctional Institution (CCI). Incarcerated people continue to suffer and die under the authority of Warden Susan Novak.

Brief summaries

• Possible suicide- On January 14, a white Muslim man who uses a wheelchair or walker either fell or jumped off a 2nd floor tier and died the next day. 
• Possible suicide- On January 16, a close friend of Damani Nantambu died of heroin overdose, possibly suicide. 
• Four deaths tracked- This makes four deaths we've become aware of at CCI since the lockdown that started on November 8, 2019. Muhhamad (Larry) Bracey was killed on December 3, and we got mail to another prisoner returned with "convict dead" written on it in early November. 
• Pattern of Muslim fatalities- At least two of the four who died were Muslims and a third was a close friend of an Muslim organizer and protester. Racism and pro-Trump attitudes of staff at CCI are well-documented. Muslim prisoners are likely to receive heightened harassment and less attention to medical needs in this Islamophobic environment.
• False conduct reports- Staff continue to issue frivolous conduct reports. A man named Christopher Dawson was written up and lost his job because he told a guard to stop yelling at him.
• Staff instructed to increase hostility- When Dawson complained that the guard falsified the report and requested camera footage be reviewed, unit manager Lindsey Walker said "with everything that has happened we where told to be more aggressive an demanding with you guys" 
• Hunger striker threatened with a taser- On the 6th day of his hunger strike, Damani Nantambu avoided a similar confrontation with an aggressive sergeant by not speaking. In response, her supervisor threatened to tase Damani.

Sources

Warden Delaying Flu shots at CCI

Columbia Correctional Warden Susan Novak delayed flu vaccine to people at high risk. As of Dec 8, people, including aged people, diabetics and others with compromised immune systems had not received the flu shot they typically get in September. There was a vaccine shortage this year, but prisons are incubators for viruses because they confine many people in close quarters with low quality medical care and nutrition. If public safety was a genuine concern, distribution to prisons would be a priority, especially to high-risk people.

Even worse, it seems the facility had the vaccine by November 24 but did not administer it by orders of Warden Novak. Below is a transcription of William Ledford's letter detailing the situation.