RCJ Prisoner Testimony #7: Dehumanization in Jail is Standard (9.1.21)

From 5.15.21:

“I have been in this jail since mid April. I got moved here from New River Valley Regional Jail because I was in a relationship with a lieutenant there. So RCJ is doing a courtesy hold. Upon my arrival I got put in a dirty cell. First I noticed the gauze on a mat. Bloody gauze, from somebody, so first thing that comes to mind is that the world is in a pandemic, the jail is failing to clean up or try to prevent the spread of Covid!! So I scoot the mat so I could sit on the bed frame and I couldn’t believe my eyes when 3 roaches scattered from underneath the mat and went behind the sink through a crack in the wall!! When I mentioned this to the C.O. working she said “I plead the fifth about the roaches” then apologized about putting me in a dirty cell and moved me to a “clean” cell. I was held in the cell for about 24 hours with nothing. No sheet to put over the mat, or anything to cover up with. I was so cold the whole night until the next day when I was put in a pod with the other ladies. So every few days someone new comes in detoxing. We are forced to be in a cell with these people who are going through terrible withdrawals. I have yet to understand why I’ve been held responsible to babysit these people instead of them being put in a pod where a co is in there 24/7 to make sure they are okay. Who is to say someone is put inside a cell with one of these people who are having a seizure and they have no clue what to do? It is crazy to me that some individuals have to go through something so traumatic because they are stuck with this responsibility.

On top of this, there isn’t a toilet in the cells and these people coming off drugs tend to have to vomit and have diarrhea and have to wait on a C.O. to let them out the room at night. Depending on what C.O. is working it’s every 30 minutes. Sometimes you get a shitty officer and they don’t come but once an hour. There is a C.O. here, her name is St Claire, and she is so rude to us inmates. She refuses to let us go to the restroom most the time because she only lets two cells out at a time. I won’t say who, but a female was forced to poop in her sink because this guard wouldn’t allow her out and acts like she forgets sometimes too. During medication rounds she and another guard, Gardner, have made fun of inmates in front of other inmates calling some of us “retarded.” These two guards are extremely disrespectful and on a few occasions cussed some inmates. I have seen these two guards disrespect inmates on multiple occasions. They act so miserable and treat us so bad. I asked for some feminine products one day (which was literally in a box beside her, St. Claire’s, feet) and she immediately started being rude telling me ‘not during medication’ so I said ‘wow’ and let the next person go take their meds. She came back and asked what I said to piss her off because St. Claire said she was glad her parents beat her ass and isn’t a disrespectful bitch. I was mind blown that a guard would talk like that in front of another inmate about an inmate. I personally don’t talk down on anyone and wouldn’t even if I was in a position of authority. It does no good to even speak up because you get thrown in seg.”

From 5.16.21:

“Those two guards were working last night and was extremely unprofessional. Two girls that were in a cell together wasn’t getting along and both St. Claire and Gardner ended up putting one girl in seg. When they came back both guards were mocking what the girl said and making fun of her so loud. Not one person in here could sleep last night because when they did rounds they were screaming in the halls and just carrying on about inmates. Its not any of my business what happens in other pods but thanks to them I now know peoples’ personal problems because they were making fun of them. Last night was uncalled for. We all in this pod have been victimized by one of these two guards. The sad part is, if we try to defend ourselves we get thrown in a seg cell. So we just bite our tongues. I meant to say something yesterday also about the filthy conditions we live in and can’t even get proper cleaning supplies! These toilets don’t even flush, its disgusting, and in the bathroom there is water sitting in puddles that have caused many of us to almost fall. We are very cautious so nobody has fell yet, but its every day we almost slip and fall. We’ve asked for something to be done but NOTHING has!!! If I fall and break something I promise I WILL have a lawsuit. I’ve been to a few jails and this is by far the most careless jail! The guards working last night are really some terrible people. My roommate was in her bed and needed to use the bathroom, and St. Claire started talking to her like she was the most disgusting person she’s ever met and told her to be dressed at all times, even in bed, because there has been a male on the floor. The whole time I’m standing beside her in my boxer shorts and she didn’t tell me to get dressed. So this man comes in our pod, unannounced, while she holds the pod door open! I don’t understand why these females are too lazy to do the rounds and let the men hold the door.”