COVID-19 EXPERIENCE WHILE LOOKING THRU BARS (part 2 of series).

We just came off the first of many lock downs. I do need to set straight a word that I have been using. “Lock Down”. This is used when something bad happens here. What has happened with COVID-19 is bad, but not as bad as what those of us in here define “Lock Down”.

DOC has now started to use the phrase “Quarantine” to describe the actions taken toward COVID-19 in an effort to reduce the negative perception to the families, public and us too. This is the phrase that is also being used in the free world. In the words of a caveman, “Lock Down bad, Quarantine not”. I guess one is supposed to feel better when using medical terminology. But when the door to where you live is locked, it is just a matter of perspective. In fact, very shortly Quarantine will morph into “Isolation”. Another medical term. For the free world they serve a purpose. But here it is just being “Locked Down”.

We came off the first 15-day lock down. The staff informed us that the person who we all thought was sick, was not. He came back and was not very happy. In fact, he became even more obnoxious than before. We really did not want to hear his drama. We just moved on living life as before. So, nine months later “Jimmy” who reported to staff that the guy was sick was going home. A couple days before he left, he told a few of us what really happen. Jimmy had issues with this guy. Apparently, the guy had ran over his foot several times with his wheelchair. Jimmy also had issue with the guy not showering much. So, Jimmy tried to do what’s colloquially called “Cross him out”. This is when you get rid of someone through underhanded means. Perhaps the phrase would be “Back stabbed”.

His plan was to get him sent out of our prison in hopes that he would never come back (or at least be moved to a different living unit). Basically, Jimmy made up the whole story that the guy was sick. He thought it was funny and he was proud of it. We told him all it did was make our lives miserable. The subject of the lie, the guy in the wheelchair, was sent across the street to the hospital at Washington State Reformatory (there are five different prisons here at Monroe).

While at the hospital, the guy had a room to himself, to include a TV with a remote. In general population, we aren’t allowed to have remotes. He got hot meals. Our meals were served cold. He even got some ice cream. To us, he might as well be given a steak dinner and an all-expense paid trip to a weekend in Vegas. We just looked at Jimmy with disgust and told him it was a chump move. He got mad because he thought we would laugh with him. We just ignored him until he left a few days later.

Well, the first big COVID-19 scare was nothing but a guy being a malicious jerk. We all suffered for nothing. But little did we know that three days after the first 15-day lock down, we would get lock down again. The next time it would be for 17 days. Remember the old saying “When it rains it pours”. Well, we got soaked the next time.

Contact information:
Wesley R. Johnston
779084 / D-607-1
MCC/TRU
P.O. Box 888
Monroe, WA 98272

Jpay using:
Wesley Johnston. 779084