Raul Coverbubias has been awaiting trial at the Santa Clara County Central Jail since June 6, 2019.
When promised a decision by its right of a speedy trial by July 3, COVID-19 threw everything out the window. Coverubias, who has no previous criminal history, tested positive in prison two days later.
In a prison interview, the 28-year-old from East San Jose described how he experienced debilitating fatigue, headaches and shortness of breath – all common symptoms of infectious coronavirus.
He said he went to the “hellhole” of the infirmary with nine sick people, after being separated into small cells that looked like rat feces. He said he slept just below the feet of the other inmates’ beds, personally cleaning the floor of the sticky dorm and taking a shower with a glove and a shared bucket of water.
During mental stay in the long-term infirmary, only medical relief was given to tylenol, cough syrup and cough drops, while not until midnight when the prisoners were asleep.
“I try to keep a clear head with everything and try to stay positive but it was really hard to deal with,” Coverbubias said, especially when fellow inmates were taken to the hospital. “We are being treated as if we are in trouble and we are not following the rules. We didn’t ask to come here; We have not made ourselves sick. ”
The Covid-19 epidemic shut down Santa Clara County on March 17, the only people Coverubia said had been in contact with fellow inmates, prison staff and deputies of the sheriff’s office. Law enforcement officials are known for the absurd mask order, especially in San Jose following the May protests sparked by the death of George Floyd. Recently many staff members went face to face without entering prison.
To take responsibility
“No one was prepared for this whole epidemic but it felt like they were trying to do the bare minimum,” Coverbubia said. “My health was in their hands and it felt like they weren’t taking full responsibility for it … If the person in charge isn’t following the rules, why would anyone else?”
According to the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office fee, the rules eventually changed, including upgrading the bucket to a COVID-19 designated shower and free time outside the cells. Sergeant. Michael Lowe said that as of Sept. 11, only one inmate in the prison system was COVID-19 positive. As of September 10, the system has registered 178 cases in prisons.
“The Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office fees take the health and safety of the occupants very seriously.” “The inmate is currently being held in the same cell of the Maine Jail Infirmary and is under 24-hour care and supervision by medical staff and Custody Health.”
Coverbubia, who recovered from the virus, said there was damage.
Deputy Public Defender Lara and Wall Laman, Coverbias’ lawyer, have tested positive for four clients – all people of color.
Coverubias, who has been charged with supporting an attempted murder, has been unable to defend himself due to his illness. Three applications for bail have been denied, even after arguing that covaribiasis is considered a risk for complications and death due to high blood pressure, asthma and weight gain, Wallman said.
Bail was denied because Coverbubia was considered a threat to public safety.
“I consider myself a pessimist when it comes to the legal system, but I’ve never seen the failure we’re seeing now,” Wallman said. “It’s already a battle on the battlefield, but when you get someone’s bail, the right to a trial, and then you don’t protect them, you’re leaving him for dead.”
In a recent move to deny bail on July 23, a doctor argued that Coverubia should be in the community and advised to self-quarantine at home rather than self-quarantine because the infirmary provides “a high level of medical care”.
Coverbubia said he worries about getting sick from other epidemics, especially given the gels are not socially designed for distance interaction.
Survives inside
Coverbubia says the only thing she meets every day is talking on the phone with her two children, mother, fianc,, sister and extended family. The cost of calls is 50 2.50 for 15 minutes.
Her mother, Cynthia Jimenez, said she knew something was wrong when those phone calls stopped.
“It was a relief to know he was alive and well but it was horrible to know what happened,” Jimenez said. “I am scared every day. It was a low bar to start with and now that Covid has arrived, I think what these detainees are going through on a regular basis has really come out. “
While the outbreak made headlines and brought about drastic changes in places like nursing homes and schools, Jimenez said prisons remain unsafe because they are on the outside in people’s minds.
“No one wants to see what happens behind the prison doors, because they think they’re there for some reason and they don’t mean anything,” Jimenez said. “They are still human, they are still people, they still have rights. I think even if people understand that they are hurting and dying, people can see that they are not just outsiders. “
William Armalaine, director of the San Jose State University Human Rights Institute and professor of sociology, said the inhumane and unwelcome prison conditions for inmates continue – people are always disconnected.
“The basis by which people believe it’s okay to keep a prison because they don’t think they’re going there – it’s for the bad guys, it’s for the broken ones,” Armalaine said. “We believe that when we are not we are separated from their lives. Now there are real crises inside that affect all of us and because of this we literally can’t deal with them. “
He drew attention to the efforts of public defenders and activist organizations such as Silicon Valley D-Bug, which seeks to break down social and political barriers, holding public officials accountable for enforcement and change.
Until then, people like Coverbubia are sitting in jail and waiting for an opportunity to defend themselves. Despite claims of innocence until convicted, Armalin argues that jobs, property, and rights are often lost when the accused stays behind the prison sentence.
“Having been there, you have already been punished,” he said. “This is a life-changing experience and you have not yet been convicted of any crime. Only if you are rich and powerful will the experience be different. “
Contact Katie Lauer [email protected] Or follow _katielauer On Twitter.
