UPDATE TO ARTICLE - ISCC ADMINISTRATORS INTENTIONALLY ENDANGERING BOTH STAFF AND INMATE POPULATIONS BY ALLOWING QUARANTINED PRISONERS TO MINGLE WITH OTHERS OUTSIDE QUARANTINE AREA

In a previous article posted on this site, it was divulged that ISCC administrators have been allowing quarantined prisoners to mingle with others outside the quarantine area. It is much worse than initially thought.

On January 12, 2021 inmate workers housed (under quarantine) in F Block (including at least 1 who had tested positive for COVID-19 within 2 weeks prior) were called to work in G Block to perform duties, including, but not limited to the serving of meals to other inmates who are themselves under quarantine - many who were transferred to the ISCC from Community Work Centers specifically for quarantine status.

In a January 13, 2021 reply to a Concern form asking about the scope of the quarantine status in F Block, ISCC Warden Jay Christensen stated, "Quarantine is confined to cells. Some essential workers are allowed out". While there has been no published definition of "essential worker", here are just some examples of those inmate workers who are being allowed to break the quarantine under the essential worker exceptions:

> Education department teachers' assistants (despite there being no educational / vocational classes).

> Braille transcription TA's (again, despite no educational / vocational classes in session).

> Mask making shop (despite masks being made are not being distributed due to their having been determined/declared "ineffective for use". These "volunteers" have also been paid maximum wages and bonuses for months).

> Paper Poppy (origami) folding/construction as fundraising for American Legion inmates.

> Dog handlers, despite there not having been any dogs in the program for many months (These "workers" have also been paid their entire salary as well as hazard and bonus pay for nearly a year despite no work being performed).

Permission has also been granted by ISCC administrators for staff (including teachers) to escort a mix of both COVID-19 positive and negative prisoners together - from separate wings/tiers of a unit - to the medical unit at the same time despite the cell-by-cell quarantine. The inmates are then forced to hang out in a small, inadequately ventilated waiting room (sometimes for hours) where staff and other prisoners walk within inches of each other, required to handle the same sign in sheet (clipboard) and pen as every other prisoner (without gloves or cleaning) and sit on often visibly contaminated and unclean benches.

When asked why such disparities between those who are said to be under quarantine status, and the actions which clearly indicate they are not (while hundreds sit in cells for weeks on end) unit staff simply shrug their shoulders and shake their heads before saying, "Have to ask the Warden."

Yea, I already did.