COVID-19 crisis simmers as Hampden County Jail remains under inhumane lockdown in Ludlow, MA
The following is a letter written by Joshua Cruz, who is being held pre-trial at Hampden County Jail in Ludlow, Massachusetts. It was co-signed by 23 other incarcerated people whose names I have redacted. The letter, which I have transcribed and edited for clarity, reveals the truth about Sheriff Nick Cocchi’s response to the spread COVID-19 in the jail. The letter was dated May 6th, and since then, there have been reports of some people being tested on the inside. Nevertheless, the Sheriff continues to keep people on lockdown, denying them access to fresh air and social interaction, even though it is eminently possible to allow these things in compliance with public health recommendations. It remains vital that more people, especially those being held pre-trial, be released immediately, and that we continue to hold Sheriffs accountable for conditions in jails.
It is important to put decarceration work in the context of the current moment. As we hear nationwide calls for defunding the police and holding them accountable, we must remember that the police are just one part of a larger carceral state. Defunding the police must happen in tandem with decarceration. The ultimate goal should be the abolition of police, jails, and prisons. The resources that are allocated to upholding state violence will always be better spent empowering Black communities and other communities of color. With the money that the carceral and imperial state steals from communities in the United States and around the world every day, we could build a world worth living in for everyone. Decarceration, along with defunding the police, are vital first steps in a broader process of collective liberation. Plug in here: https://www.facebook.com/decarwmass/
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To Whom it May Concern:
My name is Joshua Cruz, and I am currently being housed at the Ludlow House of Corrections. I am writing this letter in reference to the COVID 19 outbreak and the danger we at the Hampden County Correctional Facility have and are facing here. Not only has Hampden County sent employees home and quarantined incarcerated people who are showing symptoms, but the administration is locking all symptomatic people up in three cells in a housing unit where others are also being held. Not only does this put the person with symptoms in danger, it also puts everyone in the same unit and tower that we as incarcerated people reside in because we have the same ventilation system!
For example, our correctional officer was showing symptoms, including a high fever. She was sent home for about a month and has since returned, but during her absence not one person incarcerated in her controlled housing unit was assessed or tested! Also, on May 6th 2020, [NAME REDACTED] was quarantined in his cell. Mind you, he has been here about a year and was symptom-free until he had physical therapy with the physical therapist doctor whose name wasn’t given to us. What we do know is that the Sheriff tells us that they screen all personnel before they enter the facility, so how the doctor passed the screening is beyond understanding.
So I say again: after his contact with the physical therapist doctor, I, Joshua Cruz, along with others held in housing unit A-2, have had contact with said individual. As I said before, we share the same ventilation system, so every person incarcerated in A-tower could have been exposed and put in danger, and not one of us has been tested or assessed. I just want to state that everything I’ve mentioned so far and what I’m going to close with is what I’ve heard with my own ears, and seen with my own eyes. The Sheriff of Hampden County holds press conferences stating that his facility is COVID-19 free, which is partially true because NO ONE HAS BEEN TESTED! So without being tested, how can you possibly know and be sure that Hampden county is COVID free?
All I know is that the Sheriff is constantly lying to us and we would like answers and the truth! For example, when the Sheriff came to our housing unit (A-2), [NAME REDACTED] told the Sheriff to please not lie to us as we are grown men and can handle the truth. He was shut down, hand-cuffed and sent to segregation for the remainder of the night while the Sheriff addressed us. All that showed us was if you question the Sheriff, disciplinary action will be taken!
Here is the signature of the person who was sent to solitary confinement to attest to the accuracy of this statement: [SIGNATURE INCLUDED HERE]. As incarcerated people, we feel as if we have to go through drastic measures to get this letter to you and avoid disciplinary action while making sure this letter reaches our legal team. These measures include making multiple copies sent directly to you, and to our families so that they can send it to you. A list of all people being held in housing unit A-2 is attached [LIST REDACTED.]
Sincerely,
Joshua Cruz [co-signed by 23 people incarcerated in Hampden County Jail whose names have been redacted]