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A letter to (CDCr) prison, state and federal officials
by Sitawa Nantambu Jamaa
Prisoner Human Rights Editor’s note: I encourage the reader to please take the time to carefully read the “notice” given to Sitawa Nantambu Jamaa, prisoner activist, and the other incarcerated people held captive in CHCF – meaning fathers, sons, uncles, family members and friends of people in our community imprisoned, legally enslaved – which exacerbates already existing medical conditions. The 13th Amendment states: “Section 1. Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States …” This inhumane treatment of prisoners is systemic and ongoing – and represents two of the five counts of genocide International Jurists found amerikkka, inc., guilty of in 2021. After reading this “notice,” please ask yourself: Have I become so numb that I can no longer see that this is outright wrong?
To: President J. Biden, et al, VP Kamala Harris, et al, Gov. Gavin Newsom, et al, CHCF Asst. Warden G. Jones, et al, CDCr secretaries, et al – past and present,
The above state employees have the responsibility of taking care of all IPs (incarcerated people) and all ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) worker prisoners from any harm. Yet, the above CHCF (California Health Care Facility) and CDCr (California Department of Corrections and rehabilitation) employees do not care about our health according to the attached two-page notice, especially us similarly situated ADA workers and all IPs here at CHCF custody and medical-combined state employees.
CHCF staff is forcing us inmates to drink maximum contaminant level (MCL) water, which can cause health issues such as: liver, kidney or central nervous system problems, and may cause an increased risk of getting cancer. We should, and shall, be provided clean drinking water immediately. Recently, CHCF staff told ADA workers and all IPs that we do not need a bottled water supply. Why not? CHCF staff and the state shareholders drink bottled water, and all employees have been bringing their own bottled water since the first of February of 2022 until now. It is clear that CHCF and CDCr medical and custody staff show a lack of accountability when it deals with the above state employees, executive bodies, local and state.
To the readers of this position paper, you must realize that the California state attorney general’s office works for the interest of the California Department of Corruption and Roughness (CDCR), who have lived up to it by protecting CDCr with unaccountability towards us IPs and ADA workers here at CHCF. Just look at the two pages attached; they put no names, yet CHCF and CDCr are forcing us to drink MCL (trihalomethanes) for the next 22 months, while staff from medical and custody bring their own bottled water to drink!!
Now, all IPs and about 80% of the ADA workers have illnesses, with most of us being the worst in CHCF and CDCr. So why must we drink MCL water? Because they don’t care about our health. Our families shall and must be compensated for the current criminal acts of water poisoning by CHCF and condoned by CDCr, the California Attorney General’s office, et al.
Stop the pain and suffering! Stop the acts of torture against us all! Cease the murders – and attempted murders – of us!
An Educated Legalized Slave,
Sitawa Nantambu Jamaa, fka R.N. Dewberry
Below is the 2-page Notice sent by CHCF as is – unedited and with typos included:
(page 1)
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR DRINKING WATER
(The following two sentences are in Spanish relaying information on the importance of this notice. Translated to English it would read as follows: [This notice contains important information regarding your drinking water, please read the Spanish notice if it is included. If the Spanish notice is not included, please contact the water system and ask for a copy.])
Este aviso contiene información muy importante sobre su agua potable, por favor lea el aviso en español si va aquí incluido. Si el aviso en español no va incluido aquí, contacte al sistema de agua para pedir una copia.
California Health Care Facility has levels of Total Trihalomethanes Above Drinking Water Standards
Our water system recently failed a drinking water standard. Although this is not an emergency, as our customers, you have the right to know what you should do, what happened, and what we are doing to correct the situation.
We routinely monitor for the presence of drinking water contaminants. Testing results we received on January 18, 2023 show that our system exceeds the standard, or maximum contaminant level (MCL), for Total Trihalomethanes. The MCL standards for Total Trihalomethanes are 80 ug/L. The average level of Total Trihalomethanes over the last year was 88.92 ug/L LRAA (TTHM).
What should I do?
- You do not need to use an alternative (e.g. bottled) water supply.
- This is not an immediate risk. If it had been, you would have been notified immediately. However, some people who drink water containing trihalomethanes in excess of the MCL over many years may experience liver, kidney, or central nervous system problems, and may have an increased risk of getting cancer.
- If you have other health issues concerning the consumption of this water, you may wish to consult your doctor.
What happened? What was done?
Our quarterly testing results show that our water system exceeds the maximum contaminant level for Total Trihalomethanes. In addition, the following corrective action that will be taken to lower the contamination level of Total Trihalommethanes in the water system.
- Storage Tank Operation: The water storage tank level has been lowered to 55% capacity to 75% capacity in both water storage tanks in an effort to decrease the age of the water and increase the refresh rate of the water into the storage tanks. At least once a month samples will be collected and analyzed for concentration levels of TTHM from both the water storage tanks and inlet point from city of Stockton.
(page 2)
- Treatment Changes: the chlorine residual has been reduce to .70 mg/l from 1.10 mg/l. We will continue to monitor chlorine residual in the water system at the point of injection and at both predetermined and random locations throughout distribution system.
- Distribution Operational Practices: As part of the institutions Water Management Plan (WMP) daily flushing of water distribution mainlines and predetermined buildings will increase in volume and frequency.
- Consulting: In the event sampling data does not improve to the desired specifications a consultant will be utilized to aid in the effort.
We anticipate resolving the problem within December 31, 2024.
For more information, please contact; Sandeep or David at 209-467-3115 or at the following mailing address: 7707 Austin Rd, Stockton, Ca 95125
Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.
Secondary Notification Requirements
Upon receipt of notification from a person operating a public water system, the following notification must be given within 10 days [per Health and Safety Code Section 116450(g)]:
- SCHOOLS: Must notify school employees, students, and parents (if the students are minors).
- RESIDENTIAL RENTAL PROPERTY OWNERS OR MANAGERS (including nursing homes and care facilities): Must notify tenants.
- BUSINESS PROPERTY OWNERS, MANAGERS, OR OPERATORS: Must notify employees of businesses located on the property.
This notice is being sent to you by the, California Health Care Facility water system.
State Water System ID number: CA 3910803
Date distributed : February 8, 2023
Send our brother some love and light: Sitawa Nantambu Jamaa, C35671, CHCF D-Fac B1A-127, Stockton, CA 95213.
