N95s Still Denied at Grimes Unit 7 Months into Pandemic

Dear ULK,

After reading your ULK No. 71 and going over this with several prisoners in seg, as well as thinking hard about it myself, I’ve decided to write and let you know about the situation concerning N95 masks/PPE at Grimes Unit in Newport, AR, which is currently under the CDC guidelines / Arkansas mandates for prisoner safety but refuses to give these masks/PPE to all prisoners.

First off you got to write/fill out a sick call or request form to medical to see if you qualify, meaning if you have underlying health issues, age etc. Another qualification was if you was in a quarantined barracks while the Covid-19 infection was on the compound. If you do not fit the specified qualifications you don’t get a N95/PPE mask you get a mask fashioned out of our suits with elastic.

In one case I’m sure of, a prisoner tried to get N95/PPE mask, got denied, 3 weeks later caught Covid-19, then they issued him the mask. A little too late, don’t you think? To my understanding these were to be distributed to all prisoners to ensure that the spread was contained. Thank goodness that said prisoner recovered. This is how they do us, but in the media it’s all different. “They” are taking all necessary precautions to ensure the safety of your family and loved ones incarcerated. SMH! BS! There is at almost all times 1,100 prisoners at this unit and still til this date only half are wearing or are “issued” N95/PPE mask. Anyways I though you could write this please and let people know it’s crazy here too.

Your Avid Reader, Cell 211