Virginia Prison Visitation Unvaccinated Isolation Verses Vaccinated By Jarmaine Spruill

 "The Virginia Department of Corrections encourages inmate visitation that promotes family reunification, positive pro-social change, and a reduction in recidivism the support of public safety to extend an existing healing environment offering inmates visitation." However, key information has been given per Memorandum which restricts me (unvaccinated) from the opportunities of family reunification by not allowing me to have In-Person visitation. I am in fact General Population abiding by all institutional rules and regulations, as this benefit impacts us all for equal access to programs, services, work assignments, In- Person Visitation etc.

Sincerely held, taking all precautions serious to protect myself and others I voluntarily undergo "Special" Covid-19 Antigen-Screenings every 7 days which is a mandatory participation for all unvaccinated inmates. This self- administered nasal swab test yields results within 15 minutes. The same protocol is initiated for any inmates whose job in tells them to work outside of the perimeter of the prison for the sole purpose of them coming in close contact with staff personnel. These workers undergo the same "Special" safety considerations, performing their job duties following a negative result is the same protocol as the Antigen self administered nasal swab test that I am required to take because of my unvaccinated status.

In-Person visitation is the vital mechanism which is conducive for ones own sanity for sense of being. Preventing me (unvaccinated) of these opportunities to bond with my family during the reopening of In-Person visitation is discriminatory. I am not in segregation and further more, I have done nothing to lose my In-Person visitation privileges. The same protocol can be utilized for In-Person visitation, just as if it were job related. Me not being vaccinated does not interfere with the activities of living in General Population especially now that they've devised a system seeing that I (unvaccinated) get tested frequently. Following thus safety protocol adhering to practices of self- administered nasal swab testing, it is only being utilized for circumstantial protections which makes this a case of negligence of treatment, retaliation, and discrimination showing a substantial system of deliberate indifference towards unvaccinated inmates. Why should I continue to comply in the self- administered nasal swab test when I'm being retaliated and discriminated against, while this same self- administered nasal swab test is bias, when it should grant me (unvaccinated) admission following a negative result as a precautionary measure like every other scenario?

By  Jarmaine Spruill