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My name is Mario Francito Brown Jr. I am currently serving time in Waupun Correctional Institution during this pandemic that is going on. I chose the headline “Fighting for Our Lives” because this is exactly what we are doing inside these walls. We are not receiving the proper care the Department of Corrections is obligated to give us while we are in their care. 

We don’t receive cleaning supplies on a daily basis to wipe down the surfaces within our living space. They are not properly quarantining individuals that have COVID-19. Instead they are just quarantining them in general population in their cells. 

How is it remotely possible to quarantine inmates here at WCI, so we’re following CDC guidelines requiring six-feet social distancing? It’s impossible to quarantine in this environment given that our cells have open-faced bars at the front, and cells are side-by-side.

COVID-19 is an airborne pathogen that is going to enter inmates’ living quarters. This institution is creating a hazardous environment for individuals that don’t yet have COVID-19. We need help and change fast to stop the spread of this virus for the sake of the health of all inmates here. 

Disclaimer: The views in this article are those of the author. Prison Journalism Project has verified the writer’s identity and basic facts such as the names of institutions mentioned.

Mario Brown is a writer incarcerated in Wisconsin.