Sent Thursday, March 26, 2020
(Identity not included for their protection)
“I’m currently serving my seventh year on a nonviolent drug offense in my first incarceration. I was sent to [a maximum-security prison in WI] on an override from Madison due to the significant accomplishments and conduct that I have maintained during my incarceration. I have been at a non-fenced minimum for over a year and since I’ve been at [a maximum-security prison in WI] I have graduated from Madison College and began working at [a Madison Company], which are both in the community.
I have been at minimum/community custody since January 4, 2019, and I currently find myself in a very pressing situation due to the current circumstances we are facing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I am at high risk for contracting the virus due to several preexisting respiratory issues that I’ve dealt with since birth. I suffer from both Asthma and bronchitis, and not more than seven months ago I underwent surgery for sinusitis at UW Health in Madison. I recently requested to be tested for the virus because two weeks ago I got very sick and was told that it was a mild case of strep throat, however, I was told that I would not be tested for the Coronavirus because I am not currently showing any symptoms. I have sent letters to the Governor’s Office, I have sent letters to the courts attempting to plea for the E.R.P program which I was wrongfully denied, and my family has been trying to contact everyone possible to make my situation-aware to those who have the power to do something about it. We have heard nothing from no one and at this point I am terrified at can what may become a reality for me if I contract this virus, or worse yet one of my loved ones gets it and I can’t do a thing to help them. I have already served a horrific amount of time for what I did wrong and I’m in no way minimizing the extent of my wrongdoing, I did something wrong and I deserved to be held accountable, but a possible death sentence to go along with an extremely harsh sentence is beyond just wrong. Please consider this plea, I’m simply asking for what’s fair even thou what’s fair has long been served already.“