The number of people incarcerated at the Green Bay Correctional Institution who tested positive for the coronavirus jumped from four on Aug. 11 to 57 yesterday, a week later. Below is testimony from the inside. The excerpts were edited for clarity, length, and to protect the writers' identities. *** Even with everything that was going on in the world the prison refused to take extra precautions to avoid the cornavirus from entering. They were letting outside workers such as electricians and other maintenance people come in and out to install more cameras. Now as a result, over the weekend several inmates have tested positive for the coronavirus. They finally shut the prison down – we just went almost a whole week without a shower!! The only reason we were finally given a shower after 6 days was because multiple inmates resorted to cutting themselves and trying to go to segregation just to get a shower!!! Segregation is so packed that they can't even take any one to the hole right now!! Now they are refusing to give us medical attention and refuse to test some of us!! The only reason we were finally given a shower after 6 days was because multiple inmates resorted to cutting themselves and trying to go to segregation just to get a shower!!! They are saying they have a limited amount of supplies so they are not currently able to tend to every inmate's needs!!! They also said they feel that inmates are putting in to be tested just to come out of the cell!!! So they are refusing to test inmates!!! Now for the ones that have already tested positive they refuse to quarantine, all they are currently doing is calling them out daily and checking their vitals, giving them Tylenol, then sending them back to the same cell even if they have a cellmate!!! They literally and I mean literally posted a memo telling us this is a prison and not a hospital so please understand they don't have everything hospitals have!! Things are bad here and I'm asking no I'm pleading with you, please bring awareness to what's going on in here!!! Thank you for your time. *** We once again have a covid outbreak and is apparently worse than the first time around. A staff member advised me that at least 40 have tested positive in just the cell hall that I'm in. Haven't heard much about the other cells halls but now we on a stricter lockdown. Been on lockdown since March 18, 2020 at the prison and ever since this all started staff have been refusing to wear masks while attempting to force the inmates to wear them properly. Since March and this lockdown, the administration here at this prison has continuously allowed construction to be done by outside contractors. Having people coming in and out the prison daily, most do wear masks but some don't, to be doing all types of non-emergency/essential work. We are already in a maximum security prison where movement is already limited by the inmates and the lockdown made movement damn near extinct. No need to be having all these people in here daily installing all these new cameras. There's nothing going on to be having all this done during a pandemic. Allowing these people in the prison possibly infecting staff and Inmates. Since March and this lockdown, the administration here at this prison has continuously allowed construction to be done by outside contractors. Having people coming in and out the prison daily, most do wear masks but some don't, to be doing all types of non-emergency/essential work. Our livelihood and safety is not their top priority. They figure since we are in lockdown that they can get all this stuff done. They continue to claim that they are doing their best to contain the infection from entering the prison and the spread, which is nothing but a lie. If our safety was a top priority to them, non-DOC workers wouldn't be allowed to be behind these walls in and around staff and inmates doing what I believe is non essential/emergency work. The only ones being penalized during these outbreaks are the inmates. No rec, no visits, and barely get the phone and a timed five-minute shower two to three times a week. Staff treat us worse now, like we are the ones to blame for the virus being in the institution when it had to be a staff member or one of these workers who once again caused an outbreak in this prison. *** Even with everything that was going on in the world the prison refused to take extra precautions to avoid the cornavirus from entering. They were letting outside workers such as electricians and other maintenance people come in and out to install more cameras. Now as a result, over the weekend several inmates have tested positive for the coronavirus. They finally shut the prison down – we just went almost a whole week without a shower!! The only reason we were finally given a shower after six days was because multiple inmates resorted to cutting themselves and trying to go to segregation just to get a shower!!! Segregation is so packed that they can't even take any one to the hole right now!! Now they are refusing to give us medical attention and refuse to test some of us!! They are saying they have a limited amount of supplies so they are not currently able to tend to every inmate's needs!!! They also said they feel that inmates are putting in to be tested just to come out of the cell!!! So they are refusing to test inmates!!! Now for the ones that have already tested positive they refuse to quarantine, all they are currently doing is calling them out daily and checking their vitals, giving them Tylenol, then sending them back to the same cell even if they have a cellmate!!! They literally and I mean literally posted a memo telling us this is a prison and not a hospital so please understand they don't have everything hospitals have!! Things are bad here and I'm asking no I'm pleading with you, please bring awareness to what's going on in here!!! Thank you for your time. *** We are under full lockdown right now as they had another resurgence in covid cases in the south cell hall. The only thing this seems to do is allow them to impose stronger sanctions. For instance, they have taken our showers, recreation, and yet, they do no testing, COs are constantly seen without masks, in each others' faces or handling things they have to distribute to inmates, i.e. mail, food, ice, forms. Nothing they do is proactive, only reactive. We haven't had access to any kind of reading materials in any capacity since this whole process started in March. Yet, they often allow inmates to go to the law library, located in the same space as the regular library, six at a time, although I think they have suspended that as well for now. They have also suspended video visits due to the resurgence. They say "reevaluate on Friday" but it often takes weeks to figure anything out when we go under lockdown here, which happens often. They have begun to simply ask us if we have any symptoms of COVID and take our temperature before work, which seems to be nothing more than a gesture because people can have COVID, show no symptoms and still spread it. Besides, most of the staff, including inmates, don't wear masks, wash their hands, or anything precautionary. They pick and choose which rules and guidelines to enforce. hardly demonstrating any of them for themselves. Besides, most of the staff, including inmates, don't wear masks, wash their hands, or anything precautionary. They pick and choose which rules and guidelines to enforce. hardly demonstrating any of them for themselves.
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