May 20, 2020: Activism updates from inside

OMG People,

How are you all! As always it's great to hear from you. Would you like to hear some updates on this place? Yeah, well here we go!

There was a ruling that just came down from Federal Judge James Gain, that Elkton Prison needs to release at least 800 inmates from the federal prison here in Ohio, because they didn't put forth enough effort getting ANYONE OUT of there! Nine deaths, and 100's of positive prisoners and staff, and a lawsuit by the ACLU, later, we have victory in the Feds! That is powerful, that that ruling would come down, during the governor and director's inquisition! That almost solidifies a positive ruling, in our behalf, in the lawsuit against the ODRC.

My apologies for taking so long getting back to you, I have been trying to handle getting my Covid-19 Judicial packet copied, notarized, and sent to the courts. The staff are NOT helpful at all. The unit staff are supposed to be doing any and all copies for the men in their unit because we are on lockdown, have no access to the law library and IT'S NOT LIKE IT ISN'T THEIR JOB RIGHT NOW! They have come right out and told me, to my face, the Sgt., both case mangers, and the Secretary, that they are just plain 'ole tired of doing so much for us and we need to find a way to have the librarian come get our paperwork and copy cards, take them back to the library, copy them and bring it back!

Well, you know I sent a kite, asked if that was possible and the librarian told me that per Columbus, he cannot have contact, and unit staff IS supposed to be doing our copies with the copy machine"S" that each one has in their offices. Yeah, that's happening.

I also had the warden answer an informal complaint, our way to tell that the staff is misbehaving, stating that per the guidelines she's following, No Staff Member Needs To Be Tested To Return To Work After Being Sick With Covid-19! After officer Brian Miller made his statements on the 11 o' clock news on ABC 6 Columbus, Monday night, I figured she'd want to put a straightener on that. That's what she said. Miller said he came back to work sick cause he THOUGHT he was better. The nurses here told him to go home after he got dizzy at his desk! He said there have been no testing of staff after having been sick. She said that "The staff SHOULD follow the guidelines of the Health dept. for employees and NOT come to work if they're sick!" Hey maybe I just don't know anything, but I used to go to work while I was sick cause I had mouths to feed, but maybe that's just me!

I have just recently had to put in another informal over the fact that during our assessment, our medical records were being discussed and they had the National Guard and C.O.'s in the office, just lounging, listening, and basically serving no purpose except being privy to all of our records. They have just recently brought in someone from central office to answer kites and informals in the place of the staff here. Weird huh? Maybe they know...Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law! :-)

I am hoping to get out of this nightmare somehow! I appreciate all your kind words keeping me encouraged during this insanity! There's a website where the National Guard, that were here, got on and slayed the staff about how they ran this prison! As soon as I get the web address I will send it. Also the officers here were on a video recently talking mess about how we're being treated during this pandemic, basically laughing at how they gave it to us! I am looking for that one and when I find it again you'll be the first to know!

I will be in touch and again much appreciation for your care and never ending support of all of us during this. You're rare, as is anyone who cares for us prisoners! Oh BTW last week they started mixing negatives with positives! They let a lot of people TELL them, in the assessment, that they were better, even though more than half the prison can't smell or taste! People did it thinking the prison was going to lift the lockdown, they didn't understand that the whole assessment was just to say they cleared a large percent of the population, in their records for the ACLU inquiry! Overnight we went from 1900 plus positives to1600 plus cleared!

Also To my directors of Cassius, THANK YOU, IT WAS A RARE TREAT TO EXPRESS MYSELF WITH THEATER, JESSIE, ELISE, I CANT THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR TEACHING THIS OLD DOG NEW TRICKS! I ALSO GOT TO DO A SIT IN AND I LOVE BEING POLITICAL! BOWING & CURTSEYING :-)