tdcj units on lockdown 2021

TIFA: You have described many factors that go into deciding when a unit goes on precautionary medical lockdown and how long that lockdown needs to last. Bill Hirsh: We do know that Stringfellow has been deeply impacted by the virus and went on precautionary lockdown early on. The agency continues various testing models including random sampling at each unit every three weeks.We have had a lot of questions regarding Covid vaccines. Since the device is being deployed first to the most vulnerable populations, at the present time that will be units which deliver cool air to inmates, but if ductwork for a heating system is in place on other units they could possibly be fitted with iWaves in the future. We have reinforced to the wardens that they are to be personally inspecting the johnnies that go out on their unit at every meal. TIFA: We have questions about inmates who were not able to go to commissary before medical lockdown who are running very low on stamps and are concerned about being able to stay in touch with family. TIFA: Since the statewide levels of Covid cases are increasing, has TDCJ stopped intake from counties again? Mendoza: All units have been so instructed. There continues to be some movement of inmates to Jester 1 for recovery from illness caused by the virus, before they are returned to their home units. What can be done to ensure compliance? You make valid points and we do follow up. Dave Saffle, Deputy Chief Information Officer for the IT Division: Since August we have completed about 8000 Securus video kiosk visits; about 2000 tablet visits since mid-September; and about 3 million phone calls in the month of October. There are some transfers going on, on an “as-needed” basis. We are allowed by law to set our own time for that. TIFA: Will overseas or long-distance users have access ‘to video visitation’ since the tablets will be using the internet? Tx CURE: We have units reporting that staff are only using masks when the compliance teams are present. YouTube, Texas Department of Criminal Justice | PO Box 99 | Huntsville, Texas 77342-0099 | (936) 295-6371, Link to Texas Department of Criminal Justice homepage, Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) - News Updates COVID-19, Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) - Texas Case Counts Map, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)- Coronavirus (COVID-19), CDC Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) - World Map, Report Waste, Fraud and Abuse of TDCJ Resources. Dr. L: It starts from the last exposure to the indexed case. Especially where there is a record of adult family members visiting together in the past, we would appreciate your willingness to consider that for video visits as well. TPAA: Hughes and Estelle; will send other units. Idling trustee camps helps lower operating expenses. B. Lumpkin: We continue to do a combination of sack meals and hot meals. Do we know why such a large discrepancy despite the proximity of the units? Thielke: We review a person’s ability to pay and if there is loss of income, fees go on hold but accumulate. We have received numerous donations of toiletries and holiday cards for inmates from several volunteer groups. TPAA: We were told about the Covid-19 recovery area set up at Jester 1. Tx CURE: We heard about the lids for trays being tried in 15 units. Some officers have told inmates “they aren’t doing that anymore.”J. We have actually increased our supplies of peanut butter during this time and are closely monitoring it at all levels during the pandemic. Ginsell: The teams do tell the wardens what days they are coming. Those who are in medical isolation, because of a positive test or active symptoms awaiting test results, are expected to wear masks, even in their private areas. Could it be provided at least weekly? Mendoza: Thanks to TIFA for hosting these calls for everyone through their ZOOM account. We are also prepared to move outside housing at Polunsky and other units to inside areas as needed. We are looking at different ways to provide the programs at different units. These numbers are good but we can’t let out guard down. We’ll see you next week. Summary and paraphrase of call by Becky Haigler. Davis: No statistics on that but a significant amount of K2 was intercepted this week. Some medically fragile inmates, such as those on dialysis, had to be moved. When a final autopsy or a medical staff final review has been done, the death will be moved to the “confirmed” category. TPAA: Some unit wardens have been open to receiving supplies donated by church groups. There are now 37 units on precautionary lockdown (down from 40 at the end of last week.) On units that are being able to go to chow they have less time to eat and so are still not getting enough food. As in the past, those will be collect calls. There have been 72 TDCJ employees, staff or contractors and 167 offenders in custody who have tested positive for COVID-19. A father reported his son who was sick but had no fever was sent back to his cell and no one checked on him for three days while he was sick in his cell. Tx Conn: I sent an email to Mr. Hinojosa, of Parole Division, regarding a specific inmate and have not received a reply.Rene Hinojosa, Director of Parole Services: I did respond to a few emails this morning. On March 13, 2020, the TDCJ suspended visitation after a disaster declaration was issued by Governor Greg Abbott. We are asking that you reconsider that…especially in those areas where there is no respite available because of medical lockdown. Let us know where that is happening. This was mandated by a judge for the Pack Unit. TIFA: On the TDCJ website Covid dashboard, the number of inmates tested is not the same as the number of test results received, is that right? Can an inmate refuse a visit and still have a visit with a family member after the refusal? We hope you will make it possible for those families and loved one to call. We continue to hear lots of complaints from our families. How would an officer know about that? Does a note go into their files? We can keep the groups apart. Davis: We have used our evacuation spaces to spread inmates out further. Does he make any response? Will that come soon? Mendoza: We have two agency announcements. Part of the challenge is workforce limitations. Persons on medical restriction are placed there because of a medical evaluation and they have daily rounds by health care staff. We do ask them to revisit votes. TDCJ has approved these ideas, Mr. Collier has approved them; all hands are working. TIFA Ch L: Some COs have been telling inmates who want to update their HIPPA form to write the info on a piece of paper and give it to the COs to take to medical. Tx CURE: We have many reports of units where requests for medical services are being returned with a sticker saying they will not be seen, their issue is not an emergency. Correctional Officer Maria Mendez of the Wynne Unit was hospitalized after feeling short of breath after work on April 12, 2020 with a … CID: Yes, those in convalescent status at Jester have started returning to their home units. (Mr. Mendoza also indicated obliquely, later in the call, that some of those communications were actually hateful. TIFA: Who sets the dates for programming to start…TDCJ Parole Division or Bureau of Paroles and Pardons? They would receive the same twice-daily med checks as others with positive results. Call commenced at 10:00 a.m. with a roll call by TDCJ employee Cherie Miller of groups participating: TIFA…Executive Director Jennifer Erschabek or TIFA Chapter Leaders, Epicenter, Texas Voices, Texas Criminal Justice Coalition…TCJC, Texas Prisons Air-Conditioning Associates…TPAA, the Prison Show, and FAITH. Maybe also add some testing at that point? ), Notes of Conference Call May 8, 2020, TDCJ and TIFA. ), Texas Department of Criminal Justice to Resume In-person Visitation. TPAA: Will you consider restoring the availability of Ecomm for locked down units? We continue to receive reports of both staff and inmates not taking proper Covid precautions, including the use of PPE and cleaning procedures. They are being told about both issues that they are waiting on engineers from Huntsville to deal with the problems. Agency updates given by Mr. Oscar Mendoza, TDCJ Deputy Executive Director. What additional heat mitigation plans do you have? In response to questions about the possibility of video visitation for international callers, TDCJ is working with Securus; there will be a process to get international callers documented for approval for video visitation. We continue to make more trays and tray lids to help with the delivery of hot meals to inmates. Adams began her career with the TDCJ on January 19, 2021. Clark: That is a rumor. Prison Show: If a fan is broken, does an inmate have to wait a year from the purchase date to buy another? TPAA: People are reporting their requests for new masks are being refused. Dr. Lanette Linthicum, Director of Health Services: We have suspended pill lines on the units under precautionary lockdown, for the sake of social distancing. I emailed Tammy Shelby in Huntsville about the issue a while back but have not received a reply.Lumpkin: I will follow up on that with her.TPAA: Our director is also waiting on a response to several questions emailed to Mr. Lumpkin right after the last conference call.Lumpkin: I will check.Prison Show: We have many inmates reporting that I-60 forms are unavailable to them. How are those donations distributed? They report no problems today. Currently, phones are extremely busy, unavailable at some units. Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) - Texas Case Counts Map Kristina Hartman, Superintendent, Windham School District: Our board met on Friday. (The question of targeted testing at Wynne was repeated in a slightly different form by another caller. Q: Will weddings be allowed during the new non-contact in-person visits? 2) Wynne and Ramsey Units report 100 inmates at a time being taken to showers. We have onsite classes at 45 units and another 37 units where distance learning is going on. TIFA: I believe at least one family did call Securus and was told it was on the TDCJ side. We are not in a position to do that because of Covid protocols and issues, especially current staff shortages. (Type 14.52 in the TDCJ website search bar.) If we know in advance that an area has poor cell phone reception, that will not be our first choice for where to expand video visitation. They are continuing. Texas CURE: Could we have the list of units now being allowed to make the 5-minute phone calls with showers? Also, the agency is not ready to announce the next group of units to be brought online for tablet visitation.Mendoza: We have been receiving quite a few calls and emails from persons repeating the rumor that with video visitation TDCJ is planning to do away with in-person visitation. Let me know of problems on any particular unit. I will check on meal service and also commissary problems. TPAA: Last week Mr. Hirsch said inmates in dorm settings need to wear their masks at all times except when sleeping, when lying down, or when eating. TX Conn: We have heard there is a new warden at Allred Unit…can you confirm that? Lorie Davis, Director of CID: Some locations have been doing the 5-minute calls with showers. TIFA: We know that the process got behind because of Hurrican Harvey, and is now more behind because of Covid-19; we are concerned that the whole process just gets more and more behind. TPAA: Can we add some items like Vitamin C and fish oil to the commissary so inmates can build their immune systems?Eric Johnston, TDCJ Director of Commissary Services: We are working with our vendors to increase our supplies of these items. Could we have some consistency? None of those problems were apparent at that time. Clark: We are dealing with hundreds and thousands of numbers daily. There is work to be done on setting up needed connections; there is a state-mandated procurement procedure and state rules to follow for any purchases. Clark: We are trying to be agile in our responses. We will be working diligently to educate staff and inmates about the importance and desirability of the vaccine. Myra Walker, TDCJ Director of Nursing: I have had a discussion with Mr. Mendoza. Mr. Lumpkin, sitting in for TDCJ Deputy Executive Director Oscar Mendoza, conveyed Mr. Mendoza’s thanks for many encouraging calls and kind words received. When commissary and ecomm are not running, how can inmates obtain stamps? Are families charged for an autopsy by TDCJ? All units have adequate supplies of PPE. TIFA: Does the agency have a guideline they are looking at, such as some percentage of population vaccinated, that would be the marker for re-opening visitation? However, there are new cases arising and mitigation efforts are still important. TIFA: Stevenson Unit. Mendoza: That is not an acceptable procedure. (The conference calls are expected to happen only once per week going forward. Texas CURE: Some requests for refills of rescue inhalers are being returned with a stamped reply that indicates the requests will not be filled and that there are not sufficient inhalers in stock. Thanks for scrambling. They will be tested again before being allowed to return to work. The number of medical grievances received during the Covid crisis is miniscule. Davis: No one is forced to accept testing. Prison Show: We do notice some discrepancies in numbers reported here and what we see on the website. Mr. Mendoza gave an update of Covid issues, in the state and within the agency, in the absence of Jason Clark, TDCJ Chief of Staff: We see an upward trend of Covid cases and hospitalizations for Covid around the state. TPAA: Some units are reporting they are being denied the multi-plugs for fan use. Send names to be considered for the program to Mr. Lucas Phillip. That person has yet to be selected. Lorie Davis: To the shift captain and to the warden. We will follow up on specific complaints. They are being monitored on their current unit and if the situation elevates they will be transferred as needed. Please send specific units to be checked. There should never be a shortage of those forms, which are produced by TDCJ. TDCJ is on calls daily with other state agencies and hears that the virus numbers are stabilizing. Collier: We are looking at that from a couple of different angles. TPAA: Regarding video visits…12 units have some capability already. Notes of Conference Call August 12, 2020, TDCJ and TIFA, Call convened at 10:02 a.m. by Mr. Marvin Dunbar, TDCJ Director of Administrative Review and Risk Management with a roll call of groups participating: TIFA, Texas CURE, The Prison Show, Texas Criminal Justice Coalition…TCJC, Texas Voices, Texas Prisons Air-Conditioning Associates…TPAA, Texas Connected…Tx Conn, and FAITH, (TIFA in these notes indicates TIFA Executive Director, Jennifer Erschabek; TIFA Ch L indicates a TIFA Chapter Leader). TIFA: We hear that some trustee camps are being consolidated. Other unit-specific questions to be sent in email. Rene Hinojosa, Director of Parole Services: The IPOs are under the Board of Pardons and Parole, Mr. Tim McDonald. There are very, very few Step 1 or Step 2 medical grievances. The website says a unit will go on precautionary lockdown if there is only one positive test of inmate or employee on the unit. We are committed to evaluating units individually. 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