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 

What I Bring To Light By Jarmaine Spruill

 

Jarmaine M. Spruill & Family

My name is Jarmaine M. Spruill, fighting the fight for judicial freedom, justice and equality in the Virginia penal system.

From the starting point of the HB1532, it was introduced to impact all inmates with a reevaluated calculation of earned sentence credits to be determined in accordance with full participation and cooperation in programming, education, having no more than one minor correctional infractions and no serious correctional infractions, and also employment; Which statue the specification of the Earned credited prerequisites following the four-level classification system.

This was the initial information that emphatically made sense. Pertaining to the claims and prerequisites of the bill, the change from it effectively impacted me, to now "a conviction for any offense is ineligible".

I've been following this particular reenacted House Bill for 3 years now and from it's birth it offered interest rewarding all inmates an incentive for maintaining full participation and cooperation in programs, school, education, remaining infraction free and maintaining employment. With the slight change that the Governor signed into act made me ineligible disqualifying me from the earning of the sentence credits I've worked hard to obtain and maintain, because of my Robbery conviction labeling me a violent offender. The irony of it is, my offense will never change, but my character can.

For instance, it's become despairingly normal to bear witness an elderly inmate return from his parole hearing with news of another turn down due to the laconic reasons of "Serious nature of the crime". Amazingly, and ironically regardless of the proof of low recidivism, proof of rehabilitation they're in authority to both legitimately and determined to perpetuate the same systematic approach to any of Virginia's flawed self- contradictory mindset when it comes to equity while complying with the conditions of meeting their default system. I've gone through great lengths to defuse any of my situations psychologically, emotionally, physically all for the sake of my well being and having the desire to reverse the polarity of a young black man coming to prison being sentenced to more time than he's lived in society.

Which brings to my attention these rhetorical questions, "What's the point of maintaining good behavior if we're tricked every time into believing in a fairytale incentive"? I'm not even given a fair part of the so-called "deal" and there are those who are like me that rightfully worked towards empathy, betterment of self, who practice and display a civilized way of themselves.

What I want to bring to light is, regardless of the offense or charge, it is based upon that individual to choose whether they want to participate in Earning Sentence Credits (ESC) or not. Being that I've been reforming myself I feel as though I shouldn't be ineligible from any incentive based upon the nature of my crime.

Peace,
Jarmaine Spruill

We at vapac thank Mr. Spruill for his voice.