Open letter sent to DOC Secretary Kevin Carr, DAI admin Makda Fessahaye, and 11 elected officials on relevant committees:
We just received the following message from Bill Ledford, who is
held at Columbia Correctional Institution. He's a multi-amputee
diabetic, living with others with serious medical issues and immune
compromises. Nurses working there have admitted to being exposed to
covid-19, but are not self-quarantining because the DOC requires them to
keep coming to work. Bill's letter is below.
The
DOC has reported three staff members with confirmed cases of COVID-19
at Columbia CI. They have only ordered 6 tests of people incarcerated
there, two of which were positive, and three are still pending results.
CCI's
Warden, Susan Novak has a history of egregious medical neglect,
including refusing for months to administer flu vaccines the facility
had received.
People held at CCI have
reported ambulances arriving and picking people up on March 3, 4, and
28th. We don't know if these ambulances are covid related or not, but
many people at CCI and other facilities have symptoms and are not
getting tested.
Many are afraid to report symptoms or request
testing because they expect to be moved to segregation, losing their
property and ability to communicate with the outside world. At Waupun
CI, Doctor Jefferey Manlove was confirmed with covid on March 18 and
dozens of people were sick, but only 3 have been tested.
In the
first days after that exposure, our friend Elijah Prioleau (id 420053)
reported witnessing guards pointing tasers at sick people's heads and
taking them to disciplinary segregation because they reported symptoms
and didn't want to go to quarantine. Elijah has called us with more
information repeatedly, and last week staff responded by trying to
silence him. They moved him to a cell with someone who has a history of
battery so that, if he defends himself against that person, staff can
put him in segregation and sever his communication with us.
WILLIAM LEDFORD (80495)
4/12/2020 5:43:31 AM exposure issues
Yesterday
morning at a.m. medication pass the nurse is wearing a surgical mask
(her name is Jean), which she never has done before. When I ask her why
she says because she had been exposed to someone who had tested positive
to COVID-19. When asked her - somewhat stunned - why she was here and
not self quarantining she quickly responds, "Well, I don't have any
symptoms" and then hurries off! And I'm left thinking, just because you
don't currently have symptoms doesn't mean you aren't contagious. And
the CDC and President's Task Force every day are on TV stating if you
have been exposed to someone who has tested positive you should
self-isolate/quarantine. And here she is passing out medication on the
one unit and one wing that has the most at risk and vulnerable prisoners
in the whole DOC!!!!
To exacerbate the matter, later that day
(4-10-20) I was called to get my lower legs wrapped in 4-layer
bandaging. And the same nurse, Jean, this time without even a mask, is
the one assigned to the bandaging! Really?!
It doesn't end there.
Just earlier this evening (4-11-20) Sgt. Cascaddan comes onto the wing.
She has a mask on as well when she never has before. She, too, admits
that she had been exposed to someone who had COVID-19. When I asked her
why the hell she wasn't self a quarantining, she replied that she
couldn't, that the DOC had ordered that they come into work unless they
were showing symptoms! The implication being that if they didn't come
into work that they would be fired or disciplined. Again, is contrary to
the instructions/directives of federal and state authorities and the
CDC.
BEN, you should really contact that lawyer friend and see if
he can help us and stop the DOC from doing this, putting us at severe
risk. This is not going to be good for us! You might want to get a hold
of [media] also. This is just moronic and irresponsible on the part of
the DOC and CCI.
Thanks! You all be well and stay safe as possible!
Bill Ledford
