COVID-19 cover-up: Exposed prison guard may have contaminated over 140 prisoners

Texas-prison-wing-by-Andrew-Lichtenstein-1400x903, COVID-19 cover-up: Exposed prison guard may have contaminated over 140 prisoners, Abolition Now!
Inside a Texas prison – Photo: Andrew Lichtenstein

by Jason Renard Walker, NABPP Minister of Labor

April 15, 2020 – The Clements Unit, a large Texas prison, is knowingly allowing guards infected with the coronavirus to work at the prison. In its early stages of infesting the prison, the coronavirus had gone undocumented in the month of March 2020, despite sick prisoners and rampant signs of the virus everywhere.

The focus didn’t seem to be on preventing staff from bringing it in. The focus was on preventing healthy guards from getting the virus from sick prisoners and prisoners that showed signs of being infected.

It was well known that Officer Lugo became infected, by obvious signs and his own admittance, yet this wasn’t reported. Staff simply gave him his six feet of “social distancing” and kept it off the record. Officer Jones is said to have been another infected guard.

A prisoners’ inquiry on the existence of any in-prison confirmed cases yielded perfunctory lies under the masked faces and gloved hands of staff. Yet, everyone walked around without such protection before a bus of prisoners brought the virus with them.

After Officer Ray chose to work while obviously infected, an entire cell block of prisoners in close custody B-pod have been quarantined from all staff and prisoner contact. It was said that Ray was sent to the hospital while the 140-man pod is being monitored for 14 days. His test for the coronavirus is said to have come back positive. Now, the entire prison is on a “medical lockdown.”

Ray’s condition could easily have been confirmed and treated, though for economic reasons Ray worked until the virus was too much for knowing staff to bear. The already understaffed prison system may have been a contributing factor.

The corona shuffle

Mockingly, the current unusual moving of prisoners from cell to cell, pod to pod and section to section has been coined the “corona shuffle.” Part of the conspiracy suggests that these random moves are to help circulate the virus and increase the number of prisoners needing medical care – thus requiring each prisoner to pay the $13.55 medical co-pay fee, only to be given a temperature check and no further treatment.

These moves are also being done unrelated to security concerns, needed cell space or any other known reason. Often two prisoners who lived together and got along are forced to live with known enemies, sexual predators and the mentally ill.

Coronavirus testing, the Clements Unit way

Despite knowing nothing about the coronavirus, medical staff have come up with a three-pronged threshold we have to pass just to be taken seriously.

After the submission of a sick call request, the prisoner is seen several days later (it took me four days). He is given a temperature check; if he has no fever, all further testing ends. I didn’t have a fever.

Those that have a fever have to have a congested chest. If the lungs contain less than 30 percent of congestion, all further testing ends.

If the chest has 30 percent or more of congestion, the prisoner is isolated and simply watched for 14 days. If he’s still alive, he is written off as not having the virus. To my knowledge, no one has died here; therefore no one has had it?

Of course, there will be no actual administrative directive laying out this three-pronged threshold. The purpose is to quell all documenting of the virus’ existence unless an obvious death or serious medical need forces staff to do otherwise.

Lugo often brags about overcoming his undocumented battle with the virus. In reality, thousands of people haven’t been as lucky as he has. And an unprecedented number of prisoners and staff may have overcome it as well, suffering only cold-like symptoms.

An investigation by the Health Department, CDC and concerned citizens needs to be launched to ensure that this unit has been reported.

Mailroom staff have already begun denying COVID-19 related info. In fact, a COVID-19 memo was sent to me and denied for “communicating information designed to achieve the breakdown of prisons through offender disruption such as strikes, riots or security threat group activity.”

When you live in an environment where guards condone and engage in the killing of helpless prisoners, where medical care is denied and those who dare speak out are silenced, of course, any information designed to enhance our safety and the public’s concern is seen as information that can break down the prison’s design to keep these acts secret. Why wouldn’t it be?

Dare to struggle, dare to win! All power to the people!

Send our brother some love and light: Jason Renard Walker, 1532092, Clements Unit, 9601 Spur 591, Amarillo, TX 79107.