Tyrone’s Letters from inside #covid-19
June 21, 2020 Follow up correspondence with Tyrone
To: The Carceral State Project
From: Tyrone Lee Reyes
It was looking as if things were looking brighter, with more and more Covid-19 patients recovering. What these people is hiding from the public, is their incompetency to stop the spread. I recently spoke on units that was all negative, but now becoming positive. Several days ago they quarantined B-unit at G.Roberts Cotton Corr. Fac. from the rest of the population. But yet, they allowed them to come into Food Service, putting the workers, staff and officers at risk while waiting on test results. The next day some of them tested positive for Covid-19 and the rest were still able to come to chow.
On Tuesday night 6-9-20, they finally came to their senses and correctly quarantined the whole unit. To my knowledge 15 or more has tested positive from that unit, which is now the epicenter of Cotton. When people complained to the administration about allowing this quarantine unit to come into Food Service, their concerns was disregarded, because we're just prisoners? This fact alone shows that they don't care about putting our health at risk.
Keep in mind, how are we being infected with the virus here? Prisoners can't come in and out of the prison, to my knowledge. It's frustrating to know we don't matter enough to mandate officers to get tested, so we can figure out ways to properly try and stop the spread. Our opinions does not matter, because we're just prisoners. I've stated before, I am not confident that I will stay virus free. Everyday they're doing something to jeopardize my life. They don't even have an step down unit here at this prison. As soon as a Covid-19 patients has two back to back negative results, they moved them to C-unit, where guys like me lock in that never had it. This is suppose to be their so-called step down unit.
I am glad for the recovery with the help of our wonderful JCF medical staff. They deserve all of the credit and I will pay homage to them every time I speak about this issue. There is also some officers that's doing a superb job and I appreciate them too. They're also putting their lives at risk to make sure our brothers recover from this horrible virus. It's no one's fault that our lives is uprooted because of this unexpected Coronavirus. But, it is the administration fault that it's on Cotton level II side and continue to railroad our total recovery effect. Most of us is doing our part by keeping the units cleaned and bleached. Our administration needs to do their part and keep us safe.
This unit that I have been referring to as our epicenter, is B-unit. It houses 72 people and as of 6/10/20, approx. 36 people became Covid-19 patients. Knowing this fact, the warden and its administration decided once again to allow this unit that remains on quarantine status, to come to Food Service again. Not caring that they could possibly infect the workers too.
Our block representative raised this issue at the Warden's Forum and in so many words they started that they don't care. This type of attitude is unacceptable, but they seem not to care. It's totally frustrating that those in charge of making sure we're healthy, continue to put our lives at risk. I also reiterate that the officers and staff lives is at risk too.
It seems that these people is getting some type of financial kick back for the longer they keep Covid-19 active at this facility. Because there's nothing I see where they're trying to seriously stop the spread of this virus. It has also been brought to my attention that a few patients who was positive for Covid-19 and recovered, has tested positive again. I am trying to get clarification of this information. Because if this is true, it shows intent that these people is deliberately trying to infect other prisoners who has tested negative for Covid band negative for the antibody. Proof that they're operating under some type of agenda to keep spreading this virus.
We need more attention and show people Michigan Department Of Correction real intent during this pandemic. Where is the real correction in theirs handling of this? I have several medical issues that can be heavily affected, if I was to test positive. There's cancer patient receiving chemotherapy, that can be fatally to them. But do they care? Our lives hold so little value compared to what they're somehow getting from somewhere. Yes, this might be somewhat far fetched, but worth considering. I have no factual evidence to collaborate these allegation. It's just my opinion.
The power of an investigator reporter would be tremendously useful in this matter. Corrupt systems seems to collapse and go haywire when dirty little secrets is being revealed. Please, anybody with any media resources to have them look into this. Or all of my efforts and suffering through harassments and retaliatory tactics, would be for nothing.
June 4, 2020 Latest message from Tyrone Reyes
To: The Carceral State Project
From: Tyrone Lee Reyes
Re: Life Threatening Retaliatory Acts
I always knew it was going to happen and they retaliate against me. When this pandemic first start, MDOC was scared. They was so attentive to our needs, because they wanted to keep us calm. The Warden and administrative staff was made available all day long. Now that the population has seem to think of this as our new norm, nobody is speaking about the pandemic but a hand full of guys like myself. If it wasn't for guys like me, something would've happened. Luckily a group of us was able to silence the noise from gaining any traction.
Now everything is back to normal for them, because they are confident that they can do what they want without any repercussion. Even the operation to try and put me back in my place that I'm just a prisoner and under their control. Am I afraid of what they could do to me? No, but I do fear for my freedom.
Whereas I was confident of regaining my freedom, I am now in limbo, because I am now being harassed and any fair process I could ever have is gone. Their harassment tactics started with the delays of my complaints and my letters to you being sent out, via Jpay through my mother.
The reason why I stated it's life threatening, being a juvenile lifer, I'm under microscopic lens. Receiving any misconducts could hinder my chance of showing my judge that I have changed. I knew coming into this would entails a different level of retaliation, because they don't see me ad being a voice. All they see is someone making this prison and administration look bad for its handling of the Coronavirus.
They exposed their hands by and slip of the tongue. They wanted me to know their intention and purpose, which is why I asked MDOC Dir. Heidi Washington to order an investigation and to take possession of a video footage on May 13th, 2020, at 01:45 hours to 01:55 hours to prove a cover up by the administration to protect a officer and its usage of a retaliatory tactic to silence me.
It is hard fighting a cause when no one is fighting with you. A few doesn't matter, because the minority never get taken serious. I want to cave to the pressure, but then I'll be letting the ones counting on me down. But who can I count on to protect me from those wanting to destroy me? You're my voice of a platform and I appreciate it very much. At this moment in my life, my message is important to get out to the public on how G.Robert Cotton Correctional Facility infected those that they were suppose to protect and now they're retaliating against the one person speaking out the most. There's no secret that the harassment and retaliation tactic didn't begin until after my voice was heard loud and clear through a live Facebook chat hosted by State Rep. Cynthia Johnson. The very next day my mother received a call from the Governor's office inquiring about my complaints.
Our story needed to be told. I can only pray that everyone counting on me being released don't hold this against me. I became a voice, because it was the choice of choosing my health over my freedom or my freedom over my health. It was impossible for me to stay silence about my health being put in danger. Prayfully, I'm healthy and was never infected with the virus. However, they still have me in a unit that's connected to the Covid-19 unit and now the latest addition to putting our lives at risk, they are placing those who has recovered with a negative/negative result. My only issue is while they was waiting on its last test result, they were around the other Covid-19 patients. Which mean that they could've still extracted it within the moment they took the test and time they received the results in 24-48 hours.
Bless our wonderful medical staff, they're doing an excellent job taking care of our Covid-19 patients. I am blessed to be in their presence. They are the real hero's and should be honored by whomever they work for.
Thanks once again for this platform. I wouldn't know what I'd done without your help in getting our story out. Please stay the mission and I know this will make a difference. We will see some change for when this go down in history, they'll be able to see the do's and don't's. Everyone remain safe and I will keep everyone in my prayers.
May 18, 2020 Follow up correspondence with Tyrone
To: The Carceral State Project
From: Tyrone Lee Reyes
What are your hopes and fears in the present situation?
What lessons could folks in prison give free world people about how to endure this crisis?
My hopes is that this will end soon. But it is my fear that it won't anytime in the near future. I hope we will use this moment in our lives to change direction in which we was going before this crisis has beholden us in a state of panic. Now that we've had time to reflect, how will we continue? I fear that the majority of us has not learned anything and this was all for nothing. All I ask is that we go back to how it used to be: "reach one, teach one". It's time for all of our villages to raise our children again. This crisis has shown us how far away from humanity we really are. There's no justification as to why we're the greatest country on earth and we were so unprepared. I understand we do not have a President for the people, but we're our own state and we should have done better.
It is my hope, that we will learn from this experience and become the Great Lakes State of the Midwest, like we're supposed to be.
How to endure this crisis, is simple; cherish your family. There's no secret that family in crisis mode, always come through for each other. However, let it be a building block. Because I hate seeing family go back to being dysfunctional after a traumatic event. Our future generation needs leadership and we're obligated to give it to them.
From a personal points of view, I speak only for me; People in society needs to give others the benefit of the doubt instead of passing judgments every chance we get. I hear about all of the constant fighting on social media. Instead of talking to someone, people tends to talk to everyone via social media. I know it's gotten out of hand and we will most likely never ever see any normalcy. It's sad, but it's the truth.
People in society and in prison needs to wake up, this is not something that's happening just to be happening. In my heart, I believe this is a divine calling for us. Over the centuries, God has warned us time and time again, but we keep going against Him. This is a divine plague for us to wake up and understand we are not living accordance to His will. When are we going to realize God is in control of ALL things. Everything happens for a reason. This is a second coming of Noah and the building of the ark. Instead He is using this plague to get its point across. I am begging everyone to get right with God, because this is just the beginning of showing His disapproval of our sinful nature of doing what we want to do.
This is the best advice I can give my fellow brothers and sisters. I don't ever want to see us have to go through this again. Get right with God and make amends with your love ones. Learn from our mistakes and teach others not to make the same mistakes as you've done. Be a positive example and start being a leader. Our future generations depend on us, if we done create a clear path now, they too will be blocked off from succeeding. Look out for one another, help others by picking them up, instead of pushing them to stumble. When one struggle, we all struggle one way or another.
To: The Carceral State Project
From: Tyrone Lee Reyes
In recent days it has come to my attention that they are housing people that has tested positive for the Coronavirus, in the unit next to me. I am steaming right now, because I am really on the verge of having to make a decision; Do I choose freedom over my health or health over my freedom. I want to go home and be with my mama, but if I allow these people to continue to put my life in danger, it's a strong chance I may never see her again anyway if I get sick with this virus. I have tested negative, but they have continued to violate every protocol in the book. Soon after my result, the next day someone else close by tested positive that I've had contact with. Two days later another one in my unit tested positive, in which I could catch the virus from. When will this end? My every waking breath is based on me putting safety measures in place while working in Food Service. I am working sixteen to eighteen hours a day, just to make sure my fellow prisoners is not putting themselves in harms way, that would alternately put me, prisoners, staff and officers in harms way. It's really a struggle, but who is going to care about my health if I don't? I have too many medical issues that this virus targets. I don't want my fate to end like this. It seems that away if these people don't get me out of harms way. I want to give everyone the benefit of the doubt, but how can I when their response to my mother is misleading?
I can only imagine how many staff and officers has this virus, because they refuse to test them. What sense does it make to test us and not them? The purpose of testing a group of people in one area is to stop the spread. If everyone is not tested, then the spreading will not stop. They don't have a real plan of action in place to deal with something to this magnitude. I don't fault them for that, because this is a once in a lifetime experience. But, it don't take a rocket science to not place Covid-19 people in such close proximity to healthy individuals, nor share the same ventilation.
We had a person who tested inconclusive a week ago and they allowed him to stay in our unit. Sadly, he tested positive a week later after another test. However, this was a week that he could've spread the virus. This is why I'm afraid that I still might catch it one of these days. For five or more straight days, this facility had moved a group of people into this unit and everyday someone tested positive out of them. Yes, I am fearful for my health.
This is a scary moment in my life. Every time I cough, I ask myself is this it? I sometimes wonder, did I already have it and gave it's to someone else and then I overcame it? One day I had a chill for several hours. The next day I seen that headaches and chills is new symptoms for the virus. I am scared to see my medical staff about my headaches now, when it's most likely from my blood pressure being high. All of these things could be triggered at any moment and they're continually putting my health at risk.
