The epidemic of understaffing is growing rapidly. For as long as I’ve been incarcerated, since July of 2020, the staffing issue is getting worse not only in prisons but in jails as well. The first jail I was housed at held no compassion whatsoever. It was filthy, biased, and inhumane. The guards decided to pick and choose what they paid attention to. When situations were important, they were nowhere to be found. A girl was dragged around and beat up in an open dorm for forty five minutes while another girl screamed at the top of her lungs yet no guards came for hours. This is one of the many examples I experienced just from my first year in jail, whether it was due to negligence or understaffing I’ll never know. It’s an issue that needs to be addressed. Once I got transferred to prison, I truly understood the crisis. From nurses to officers to counselors, they are all overworked and it affects our daily lives as much as theirs. A recent incident drives this point home and I believe everyone needs to hear it.

On Saturday, May 18th, around 8 in the morning, in my building, a girl that I’ve known for two years now, cut another girls arm wide open with a blade. The sole reason is that she is a schizophrenic, among other issues, in general population with too many triggers and not enough help for her. She is a highly intelligent individual. She’s had outbursts before, suicidal threats, episodes, etc. She has been housed in acute/mental health after past incidents then released back into population, which has made her a danger to not only herself but others for obvious reasons. She had no beefs with this girl. This other girl had just come from intake and had been minding her business at a table in the day room doing arts and crafts. The intake had asked this lady how she was and maybe that made her a target. Ultimately, anyone could have been. Something triggered her to do what she did and the intake had to go to the hospital to get eleven stitches. It could have been a lot worse. Both of these girls are victims as well as the many others who witnessed the incident. Later that day, the building attempted to hold a peaceful protest in the chow hall during lunch because this incident was the final straw for many and needs attention. There are no mental health counselors on staff during the weekend. Why is that? We don’t have staff to support the need for on call weekend shifts. So, the initial answer from administration is to lock up the individuals in segregation that were part of the protest because it’s actually considered “inciting a riot.” They didn’t even know the whole situation, once they did then they decided against seg. We incarcerated are instantly in the wrong just because we want change and have to show out for what we want or need and there’s no other way. I have actually heard from a counselor that they don’t have enough staff to see everyone that wants/needs to be seen.

THAT’S A PROBLEM! The understaffing crisis makes our living environment even tougher to navigate. Just human warehouses to stuff us in by numbers and lowest status possible. We must look after one another and work harder to keep us afloat and safe. This environment is so much for self. It truly needs unity. There are many that do go against the grain and establish so much change as well as rehabilitation. They are resilient against all odds. The system needs revival and staff to make changes. There are plenty of opportunities coming about after the Covid hit, only we need staff to operate these things. These matters need the spotlight to bring about differences in prisons all across the nation.

My name is Jennifer Zukerman. (DOC #2080583) I am currently housed at Fluvanna Correctional center for Women.