Following outbreak, current and former inmates hare experience in Tucson Prison

Inmates from Whetstone unit at Tucson state prison complex describe conditions

FACILITIES IN TUCSON -- THEARIZONA DEPARTMENT OFCORRECTIONS REHABILITATION ANDREENTRY -- ISSUED THEFOLLOWING STATEMENT.

"SINCETHE BEGINNING OF THE COVID-19PANDEMIC, THE DEPARTMENT HASTAKEN SIGNIFICANT ACTIONS TOMITIGATE THE RISKS AND IMPACTSOF COVID-19 IN ITS FACILITIES.KEEPING OUR STAFF, INMATES ANDCOMMUNITIES SAFE, CONTINUES TOBE OUR TOP PRIORITY."THIS COMES AFTER 5- HUNDRED-17CASES WERE CONFIRMED AT THEWHETSTONE UNIT IN TUCSON ONTUESDAY.

FOR THE FIRST TIME --WE'RE HEARING ACCOUNTS OF THECONDITIONS INSIDE THAT UNIT --OF THE TUCSON STATE PRISONCOMPLEX.

NINE ON YOUR SIDE'SROGELIO MARES SPOKE WITH A MANWHO SAYS -- HE WAS A INMATE ATTHE UNIT AND HAS A FRIENDSTILL IN THERE -- SENDING HIMMESSAGES FROM INSIDE.THIS MAN, WHO ASKED US TO CALLHIM DONALD, SAYS HE WASRELEASED FROM THE TUCSONPRISON COMPLEX LAST DECEMBER.BEFORE HE LEFT HE SAYS HE RANINTO A FRIEND HE'D KNOWN FOROVER 30 YEARS.

SOT HE LOOKEDAT ME ONE DAY AND I LOOKED ATHIM AND WE KIND OF RECOGNIZEDEACH OTHER.

I SAID 'I KNOWYOU,' AND HE SAYS 'I KNOWYOU.'

06SEC DONALD SAYS HEPROMISED HIS FRIEND HE'DMESSAGE HIM FROM THE OUTSIDE.SOT I TOLD HIM I WOULD STAY INTOUCH AND I EMAILED HIM LIKETWO MONTHS AFTER I GOT OUT.08SEC JUST BEFORE THE PANDEMICSTARTED, DONALD SAYS, HECONTACTED HIS FRIEND, STILL INTHE WHETSTONE UNIT.

SOT HETOLD ME AROUND MARCH THATTHERE WERE PEOPLE STARTING TOGET SICK IN THERE.

05SECSENSING HIS FRIENDS GROWINGDESPERATION DONALD SAYS HEOFFERED SOME ADVICE BASED ONHIS OWN EXPERIENCE AT THEPRISON.

SOT WHEN I WAS INTHERE I SLEPT WITH MY BLANKETOVER MY HEAD BECAUSE PEOPLECOME IN AND COUGH, THEY COUGHALL OVER THE PLACE.

I TOLDHIM, I SAYS, START SLEEPINGWITH YOUR BLANKET OVER YOURHEAD.

09SEC DONALD SAYS HISFRIEND DESCRIBED A GROWINGCONCERN AMONG INMATES ABOUTHOW THE VIRUS WAS BEINGMANAGED.

SOT THEY GOT AMEMORANDUM THAT SAID THEY WERESUPPOSED TO GET TWO MASKS ANDTHEY ONLY GIVE THEM ONE.

06SECIN LATE JULY REPORTS OF A'DISTURBANCE' WERE CLARIFIEDBY PRISON OFFICIALS AS A'MINOR ISSUE' OF INMATES'EXPRESSING CONCERN ABOUTCOVID.'

IN A JULY 24THSTATEMENT, PRISON OFFICIALSSAID A 'BRIEF DISCUSSION' WASHELD AND THERE WAS 'NOHOSTILITY.'

THE STATEMENT WENTON TO SAY INMATES WOULD BESERVED MEALS 'IN HOUSE' FOR 14DAYS.

SOT JULY, HE SAYS HECAUGHT IT, NOW HE SAYS HECAUGHT IT AGAIN.

04SEC DONALDSAYS HIS FRIEND TOLD HIM HETESTED POSITIVE FOR THE VIRUS,TWICE.

BASED ON THEDEPARTMENT'S WEBSITE THENUMBER OF CASES AT THE TUCSONCOMPLEX ECLIPSES THE NUMBER OFCASES AT THE LARGEST FACILITYIN THE SYSTEM, EYMAN.

747CONFIRMED CASES IN TUCSON TO62 AT EYMAN.

THE NEXT LARGESTCOMPLEX, AT YUMA, CONFIRMS 108CASES.

DONALD SAYS ONE PROBLEMCOULD BE THE CLOSE QUARTERS INTHE FACILITIES.

HE SAYSTHERE'S ONLY ONE PLACE ANINMATE CAN REALISTICALLY HAVE6-FEET OF DISTANCE BETWEENTHEM.

SOT WHEN YOU TAKE ASHOWER YOU LEAVE ONE BAY OPENSO THAT GIVES YOU ABOUT 6-FOOTIN THE SHOWER.

06SEC ROGELIOMARES KGUN9 ON YOUR SIDE.THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA SAYS