I am currently at SICI and we just got our first positive case on our tier and the guy was my side Bunkie. We are currently under quarantine status so we only get off our tier to use the kiosk every once in a while for about 45 minutes for the whole 48-person tier. Also, we haven't been outside now for about a week — which sucks for me because I love being outside and I work out about 3 hours every day. All the workout equipment is outside, so it’s just calisthenics and cardio for now.
I am in prison for involuntary manslaughter. I did five years, got out for a year and a half, but I was using meth pretty heavily with my boyfriend and so I ended up back here for parole violations. I really did want help with my addiction but the circumstances for which I was incarcerated and some things from my childhood make it hard for me to cope with reality so I use.
I was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, depression, anxiety, and possible PTSD. When I went to my revocation hearing, even though the onsite parole commissions officer and my parole officer recommended an advanced practice Ryder program, the board decided that they think I needed time to reflect. They flopped me until February 2022. I was sentenced to 4-6 for a total of 10 and I am past my fixed by 2 and a half years. When I see the parole board again I will only have a year and a half until I top.
The system is rigged. They said they gave me a chance once and that I was a danger to myself and the community, even though my charge is considered low severity. Yet I'm on the farm where I could get a job in the community if all the institutions weren't on lockdown of course. I know for a fact I could because the first time I was incarcerated, I was put here and worked on a road crew in the community. Well hope this helps and thanks for listening.
-Dylan
About the Stories from the Inside story project:
ACLU of Idaho, Black and Pink Boise, and HumanKind have collaboratively reached out to people who are currently incarcerated to share their view of the COVID-19 from inside Idaho jails and prisons. The experiences detailed in the submitted letters and responses are reflective of a prison system that lacks any standard of medical care for inmates and IDOC staff in the face of a global pandemic—even as the number of infected continues to rise. With the authors’ permission, we are publishing these letters here so their stories from the inside can be known.
Prisoners are people — and these are the real experiences they are having on a daily basis. All stories have been shared with written consent.
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Black and Pink: Boise is an open family of queer & trans prisoners and "free world" allies who support each other.
Humankind: A Voice from the Inside is an organization committed to providing a voice for those navigating through the criminal justice system. We believe that everyone deserves fair and compassionate support in and outside of incarceration. Humankind envisions a world where individuals involved in the system are treated justly and receive adequate rehabilitation to become productive members of society. We need change, not chains.
The Northwest Abortion Access Fund is an abortion fund serving Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Alaska. Trained, compassionate volunteer advocates run our toll-free hotline. We help people pay for their abortion care by sending funding directly to the clinic. We also help people get to and from the clinic and make sure people traveling for care have a safe place to stay.
We are a 501(c)3 nonprofit and a member of the National Network of Abortion Funds (NNAF), a membership organization of over 70 funds across the United States.
